Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the DVLA has refunded to motorists who sold their cars and claimed back the unused vehicle tax on those cars since 2014.

George Freeman: Since 1 October 2014, vehicle excise duty automatically ends when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been notified that a vehicle has been sold, transferred into the motor trade, scrapped, exported, stolen or a statutory off road notification is made. When the DVLA is notified of any of these events, the registered keeper automatically receives a refund of the full months remaining on their vehicle excise duty. The table below shows all vehicle excise duty refunds since 2014: YearVED Refunds £millions2018/193652017/183522016/173382015/163572014/15216

A34: Accidents

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2019 to Question 240641 on A34: Oxfordshire, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) deaths and (b) injuries on the A34 in 2018.

George Freeman: The latest available final road accident data is for 2017. The annual report on reported road casualties for 2018 will be published in September 2019.

Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his Department’s policy to include in contracts for motorway maintenance and upgrade work (a) penalty clauses for contractors failing to complete work within an agreed time frame and (b) set hours during which such work is to be carried out in order to (i) minimise disruption at peak times and (ii) ensure timely completion of that work.

George Freeman: Highways England’s contractual arrangements for contractors that maintain and repair the Strategic Road Network provides for both financial reward and penalty depending on performance against the agreed cost for work undertaken. There is also redress for poor quality including non-compliance with contract, standards, or statutory obligation, and for failure to deliver to agreed timetables; ranging from contractors having to bear the cost of correcting defective work through to contract termination. Works are planned and scheduled so as to minimize disruption whilst not compromising value for money.

Bus Services: Training

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Inclusive Transport Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, when his Department plans to publish guidance on what should be included in high quality training for bus drivers.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government remains committed to publishing best practice guidance on the provision of high quality disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers, to support operators to ensure that every driver has the knowledge and skills to assist disabled passengers. We will publish the guidance later in the year and will work with the bus and coach industry to encourage its adoption.

Cycling and Walking

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish a report to Parliament on the Government's objectives for walking and cycling as set out in the statutory 2017 Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department for Transport (DfT) plans to publish the road safety statistics for England in September. As it would be useful to include this data in its progress report, and given the prorogation of Parliament, DfT is planning to publish the progress report over the autumn.

Shared Spaces: Visual Impairment

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that town designs that remove navigation tools used by blind and partially-sighted people to navigate, including kerbs and controlled crossings are not rolled out during the Government's halt on dangerous shared-space schemes.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with organisations representing blind and partially-sighted people on the safety of shared space schemes for those people.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the halt to shared space schemes remains in force until new designs are considered to be safe by blind and partially-sighted people.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The focus of the pause is on level-surface schemes in areas with relatively large amounts of pedestrian and vehicular movement, such as high streets and town centres (outside of pedestrian zones). Local authorities are responsible for the design of their streets. It is for them to ensure any pedestrian environment scheme, including a shared space, is inclusive and meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. If local authorities had already let contracts to build a scheme, or it was already under construction, because any changes to the design may be costly or impractical, to avoid additional financial burdens, the pause only applies to schemes that were at the design stage, where changes could be more easily made at the time that the pause was announced. Ministers meet regularly with groups representing disabled people, including those representing blind and partially sighted people, to discuss a wide range of inclusive and accessible transport issues. Officials in my Department also work closely with a wide range of stakeholders on many issues including shared space schemes, the opportunities they offer and the challenges they pose.

Portsmouth International Port

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much additional funding will be allocated to Portsmouth International Port to prepare for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris: On 30 August, the Secretary of State for Transport announced the £10M Port Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity (PIRC) fund with the intention of supporting Brexit resilience preparations at English ports. Portsmouth International Port will be eligible to apply for PIRC funding, and any bid will be subject to a competitive assessment process against applications from other ports.

Portsmouth International Port

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department will be responsible for reimbursing Portsmouth City Council for costs incurred from preparations at Portsmouth International Port for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris: On 30 August, as part of a £30m investment package for ports, DfT announced a targeted £5m fund for Local Resilience Forums (LRF) for traffic management improvements on roads around key maritime ports outside Kent. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum, which includes Portsmouth City Council, is eligible for up to £1.25m from this fund in recognition of the high volume of accompanied freight traffic between Portsmouth International Port and EU ports. The LRF funding could be used for reimbursement of the council’s capital works on local roads, provided that it can demonstrate that the works were undertaken to directly mitigate the potential traffic impacts of a no-deal Brexit. On the same day, DfT also announced a £10M Port Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity (PIRC) fund with the intention of supporting Brexit resilience preparations at English ports. Portsmouth City Council, who own Portsmouth International Port, will be eligible to apply for PIRC funding for supporting future no-deal Brexit related mitigation efforts and any bid will be subject to a competitive assessment process against applications from other ports.

Roads: Safety

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made in reviewing guidance in the Highway Code to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government’s response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) Safety Review was published in November 2018.The CWIS Safety Review 50 point action plan, published alongside the Government’s response, sets the framework for consultation on more detailed proposals and a targeted programme of research over the next two years.Three of these actions relate to the reviewing of guidance in The Highway Code to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse-riders. The Department is currently agreeing the scope and delivery of this review, which will be conducted in consultation with our stakeholders, according to the Department’s usual practice.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to help ensure that more public charging points are provided for electronic vehicles.

George Freeman: We want to encourage private sector investment to build and operate a self-sustaining public network that is affordable, reliable and accessible. Government funding and leadership, alongside private sector investment, has supported the installation of more than 21,000 public chargepoints, 2,100 of which are rapid – creating one of the largest networks in Europe. In August the Secretary of State announced that funding for this year’s on street residential charging scheme, which offers grants to local authorities to support investment at a local level, would be doubled from £2.5 to £5 million. Highways England has also committed £15m to ensure there are chargepoints (rapid where possible) every 20 miles on 95% of the Strategic Road Network by 2020. This is in addition to the £400m Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund announced at the Autumn budget in 2017.

Official Cars

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cars there are in the Government Car Service fleet.

Chris Heaton-Harris: There are 83 cars in the Government Car Service Fleet.

Official Cars

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many petrol or diesel engine cars were added to the Government Car Service fleet in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As part of a planned replacement programme the Government Car Service (GCS) added the following cars to its fleet during the years:2017 – Petrol x 16, Diesel x 02018 - Petrol x 0, Diesel x 02019 – Petrol x 8, Diesel x 0

Official Cars

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many hybrid electric cars were added to the Government Car Service fleet in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As part of a replacement programme the Government Car Service (GCS) added the following hybrid electric cars to its fleet during the following years:(a) 2017 - 0(b) 2018 - 5(c) 2019 - 0

Official Cars

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fully electric cars were added to the Government Car Service fleet in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As part of a planned replacement programme the Government Car Service (GCS) added the following electric cars to its fleet during these years:2017 – 12018 – 52019 – 6

Manchester-Sheffield Railway Line

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the capacity improvement scheme planned for the Hope Valley line.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Network Rail have completed the single option design for the railway infrastructure scheme proposed in the Hope Valley and are working on plans to progress the work to the next stage ‘Decision to Deliver’. Network Rail are developing a procurement plan to deliver the scheme, and are undertaking pre-construction planning to enable this scheme to be delivered as quickly as possible. They will be working with the train operators to assess the best way to deliver the scheme with the least disruption to passengers.

Department for Transport: Brexit

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings his Department has had with Wirral Council to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: DfT supports MHCLG’s Brexit discussions with local authority leaders and local authority Chief Executives to outline its work on Brexit preparedness and to address transport queries. No meetings have taken place with Wirral Council, but DfT is directly engaging with Merseyside Local Resilience Forum, which includes emergency responders, councils and other public services.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carers and Parents: Flexible Working

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to implement the European Council directive on work-life balance for parents and carers.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is committed to maintaining and enhancing workers’ rights as we leave the EU. We will not be bound by EU law but will be able to raise employment standards where it is right for the UK. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are already working on measures designed to increase take-up of family-related leave and flexible working arrangements. In addition to consulting on high-level options for how we can better balance the gender division of the parental leave and pay system, the department is considering the question of dedicated employment rights for carers alongside existing employment rights (such as the right to request flexible working and the right to time off for family and dependents).

Manufacturing Industries: Liverpool

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will allocate long-term funding to the LCR 4.0 programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: Businesses in the Liverpool City Region are able to access support from the Made Smarter North West Pilot Programme which runs until 2021 and provides support to manufactures wanting to adopt digital technologies. Decisions on the future funding for LCR 4.0 will be made at the next multi-year Spending Review in 2020.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Living Wage

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff working in her Department for Aramark and ISS are paid below the London Living Wage.

Nadhim Zahawi: Pay data and specific rates are a matter for each individual contractor, but assurances are provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Living Wage. In April 2019 Government increased the National Living Wage to £8.21 per hour. This is an above inflation increase that saw a full-time minimum wage worker over £2,750 better off over the course of a year compared to when the policy was introduced. We value all of our staff and they all deserve a fair and competitive wage, whether they are directly employed or working through our contractors. The Department has agreed with its facilities management contractor that they will align the pay of their cleaning, catering, mailroom and security staff to the appropriate median rates for that occupation, as identified in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The median applied from 1 March 2019 and will be aligned annually.

Shipbuilding

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support the supply of skills and expertise to UK shipyards.

Nadhim Zahawi: Government is supporting the Maritime Enterprise Working Group (MEWG) to carry out an analysis of the shipbuilding skills requirements needed to meet future demand. The MEWG will use this analysis to inform the recruitment by the shipyards to meet their future delivery requirements. The Government’s Industrial Strategy “Building a Britain Fit for the Future” includes the commitment to support young people to develop the skills they need for jobs in the future. Government is committed to encouraging the take up of apprenticeships and has set a target of 3 million new apprenticeships by 2020.

Plastics: Freezers and Refrigerators

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what date her Department took the decision to ban the manufacture of plastic backed (a) fridges, (b) freezers and (c) fridge freezers.

Kelly Tolhurst: Action to improve the safety of fridges and freezers has been led by the UK at a global level. The UK Government worked closely with the British Standards Institution and the International and European Standardisation Committees to update the fire safety requirements in the Standard for refrigeration appliances which has applied since 11 July 2019. The essential safety requirements which must be met for fridges and other white goods are set out in the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. From 11 July 2019, any business using the revised Standard for refrigeration appliances to demonstrate compliance with legal safety requirements under the Regulations, will need to ensure their appliances pass the tests introduced in the revised Standard. Refrigeration appliances using flammable materials will not pass the tests introduced in the new Standard.

Small Businesses: Tees Valley

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings her Department has had with businesses on Teesside to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Nadhim Zahawi: BEIS Ministers and officials have been engaging throughout the country with businesses of all sizes and their representatives, trade associations and local enterprise partnerships, including through regular meetings. We communicate regularly with intermediaries to ensure businesses obtain information quickly and efficiently. We will continue to engage across the business population to ensure their priorities are reflected and that businesses have the latest information on how to prepare themselves for Brexit, including through a targeted series of roadshows and events.The Government also has a business readiness website designed to keep businesses and consumers informed about what no deal might mean for them, with information on a range of measures that may need to be taken in order to prepare. These notices are being regularly updated with the latest information, for example BEIS have published 18 sector specific guides with the top three to six priorities per sector on GOV.UK. These guides can be easily accessed through an interactive business search tool https://www.gov.uk/get-ready-brexit-check

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings her Department has had with Wirral Council to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Nadhim Zahawi: BEIS Ministers and officials have been engaging throughout the country with businesses of all sizes and their representatives, trade associations and local enterprise partnerships, including through regular meetings. We communicate regularly with intermediaries to ensure businesses obtain information quickly and efficiently. We will continue to engage across the business population to ensure their priorities are reflected and that businesses have the latest information on how to prepare themselves for Brexit, including through a targeted series of roadshows and events.The Government also has a business readiness website designed to keep businesses and consumers informed about what no deal might mean for them, with information on a range of measures that may need to be taken in order to prepare. These notices are being regularly updated with the latest information, for example BEIS have published 18 sector specific guides with the top three to six priorities per sector on GOV.UK. These guides can be easily accessed through an interactive business search tool https://www.gov.uk/get-ready-brexit-check

VE Day

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations she has received from events organisers on the cancellation of the May bank holiday in 2020 in order to commemorate VE Day.

Nadhim Zahawi: In making the decision to move the early May bank holiday to commemorate VE Day, options and implications were discussed between Government departments and with the devolved administrations. The Government recognises that some minor disruption has been caused to a small number of events but on this historic occasion we wanted to ensure as many people as possible have the valuable opportunity to pay a fitting tribute to our heroes of the Second World War.

Regional Planning and Development: County Durham

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how he plans to use the Northern Powerhouse to increase productivity in County Durham.

Nadhim Zahawi: In his Manchester Speech of 27 July, the Prime Minister made clear this Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse as part of its ambitions to level-up the country, unlocking untapped productivity and economic potential in all places, including County Durham.This commitment builds on a track record of investment in economic growth in the North East. Of the £3.4 billion Government has invested in Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse, the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has received £379.6m across the three rounds of the Local Growth Fund. This investment in innovation, business support, skills, economic assets and infrastructure and transport and connectivity, will help people gain access to new jobs and opportunities and provide businesses with the environment needed to grow and become more productive. In County Durham, £17m of Local Growth Funding has been invested at the National Formulation Centre and National Photonics Centre. These leading innovation centres will boost productivity but also provide facilities and expertise to help companies of all sizes develop new technologies and turn them into commercially viable products that will grow the local economy.The Northern Powerhouse’s emphasis on transport connectivity as a driver of productivity will also be of direct benefit to Durham, for example the £780 million upgrade to the East Coast Mainline.Local economies are a crucial part of this: Bishop Auckland is also one of 50 places across the Country that has progressed to the second phase of the £675 million Future High Streets Fund, which will help local leaders to reinvent their town centres. Those successful towns will now receive up to £150,000 of new funding to work up detailed project proposals, based on their initial plans.

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the National Association of Local Councils on the delivery of the Northern Powerhouse.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and his officials engage with local councils through a range of different organisations and forums, including Local Enterprise Partnerships and Transport for the North, where local councils are represented at board level.

Life Sciences: EU Nationals

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of stricter border checks for people from EU Member States after the UK leaves the EU on the life sciences industry in the UK.

Joseph Johnson: Science, research and innovation are vital to our country’s prosperity, health and wellbeing. The Government remains committed to ensuring world leading life sciences talent is retained and attracted to the UK. We are working to ensure that our visa arrangements are closely aligned to the sector’s needs. The Government recently announced that we would remove the numbers cap under the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa, which exists to attract leading scientists and researchers to the United Kingdom. We also intend to expand the range of bodies able to endorse applicants under this route, and my Department is currently working with the Home Office on how best to achieve this. My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has also made clear our longer-term commitment to introducing an Australian-style points-based system, which will seek to attract talented individuals from across the globe to work, live in and contribute to the United Kingdom.

Life Sciences: EU Nationals

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) she and (b) her officials have had with their counterparts at the Home Department on the effect of border checks for people from EU Member States on the life sciences industry in the UK.

Joseph Johnson: Science, research and innovation are vital to our country’s prosperity, health and wellbeing. The Government remains committed to ensuring world leading life sciences talent is retained and attracted to the UK. We are working to ensure that our visa arrangements are closely aligned to the sector’s needs. The Government recently announced that we would remove the numbers cap under the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa, which exists to attract leading scientists and researchers to the United Kingdom. We also intend to expand the range of bodies able to endorse applicants under this route, and my Department is currently working with the Home Office on how best to achieve this. My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has also made clear our longer-term commitment to introducing an Australian-style points-based system, which will seek to attract talented individuals from across the globe to work, live in and contribute to the United Kingdom.

Plastics: Freezers and Refrigerators

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is to introduce a ban on the sale of plastic backed (a) fridges, (b) freezers and (c) fridge freezers.

Kelly Tolhurst: Action to improve the safety of fridges and freezers has been led by the UK at a global level. The UK Government worked closely with the British Standards Institution and the International and European Standardisation Committees to update the fire safety requirements in the Standard for refrigeration appliances which has applied since 11 July 2019. The essential safety requirements which must be met for fridges and other white goods are set out in the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. From 11 July 2019, any business using the revised Standard for refrigeration appliances to demonstrate compliance with legal safety requirements under the Regulations, will need to ensure their appliances pass the tests introduced in the revised Standard. Refrigeration appliances using flammable materials will not pass the tests introduced in the new Standard.

Spark Energy: Billing

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on energy bills being issued in error to customers of other energy suppliers by Spark Energy Ltd.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Representatives of the department meet regularly with Ofgem on a variety of policy issues, including the retail energy market. It is for Ofgem to lead on erroneous billing and other breaches of supplier licensing conditions.

Manufacturing Industries: Energy

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she is taking to establish an industrial energy efficiency scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund was announced in October 2018. We are providing £315m for this fund to support industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects. This will help to bring down energy costs and reduce carbon emissions for vital industries, including energy intensive industries. We have sought stakeholder views through our informal consultation as well as a market intelligence exercise, helping to inform the design of the fund. We will publish a consultation setting out our preferred fund design and invite stakeholders to comment shortly. The IETF will complement existing schemes such as the Industrial Heat Recovery Scheme and the Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator.

Natural Gas: Energy Supply

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, by how much her Department plans to increase the proportion of green gas in the gas network; and if she will bring forward proposals to amend Section 3 of the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 to prepare for the increased use of green gas in the grid.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In this year’s Spring Statement, the Government stated our commitment to accelerating the decarbonisation of our gas supplies by increasing the proportion of green gas in the grid and to consult on the appropriate mechanism to deliver this commitment later this year. The Gas Safety (Management) Regulations are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive. Officials continue to engage with the HSE to support their ongoing assessment of proposals to amend Section 3 of the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations.

Vauxhall Motors: Ellesmere Port

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many meetings she has had since taking office with representatives of the PSA Group on the Vauxhall Motor plant in Ellesmere Port.

Nadhim Zahawi: Vauxhall - part of Groupe PSA - is a key part of the UK’s successful automotive industry, with major commercial vehicle manufacturing in Luton, as well as its significant operation at Ellesmere Port. Groupe PSA recently announced that the next generation Astra could be produced at Ellesmere Port. We are continuing our active dialogue with Vauxhall and others in the Automotive sector and I was delighted to speak with the company in recent weeks to discuss their UK operations and to reiterate our support for investments in new technology, R&D and electrification.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings her Department has had with Durham County Council to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Nadhim Zahawi: BEIS Ministers and officials have been engaging throughout the country with businesses of all sizes and their representatives, trade associations and local enterprise partnerships, including through regular meetings. We communicate regularly with intermediaries to ensure businesses obtain information quickly and efficiently. We will continue to engage across the business population to ensure their priorities are reflected and that businesses have the latest information on how to prepare themselves for Brexit, including through a targeted series of roadshows and events.The Government also has a business readiness website designed to keep businesses and consumers informed about what no deal might mean for them, with information on a range of measures that may need to be taken in order to prepare. These notices are being regularly updated with the latest information, for example BEIS have published 18 sector specific guides with the top three to six priorities per sector on GOV.UK. These guides can be easily accessed through an interactive business search tool https://www.gov.uk/get-ready-brexit-check

Nissan: Foreign Investment in UK

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when she last spoke with Nissan on the effect on their operations in the UK of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Nadhim Zahawi: Nissan is a critical part of the UK’s successful Automotive industry and remains a vital part of the North East’s manufacturing landscape as it has been for the past 30 years. I am in active dialogue with Nissan – most recently in a call with the company last week, and others in the Automotive sector to support investments in new technology, R&D and electrification Nissan’s decisions to produce the new Qashqai, Juke and the all electric Leaf models at its world class manufacturing facility in Sunderland are votes of confidence in the UK’s business environment.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect on the automotive sector of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Nadhim Zahawi: The document entitled, “EU Exit: Long-term economic analysis” was laid before Parliament on 28th November 2018 and remains valid. This analysis illustrates the high level impacts on the UK from different EU Exit scenarios with associated costs for five broad sector groups across the economy, including motor vehicles and parts as a key component of the manufactured goods sector. The macroeconomic modelling tools used for this analysis do not allow for disaggregation of results at individual sector level. We are working closely with businesses across the country to help ensure they are prepared for the UK leaving the EU on the 31st October, whatever the circumstances. This includes regular engagement with the automotive industry by both BEIS ministers and officials to discuss no-deal risks and mitigations. Engagement may be bilateral or in group discussions, via trade associations, or through participation in the Automotive Council. We are better prepared for no-deal than many think but not as well prepared as we could be and we are turbocharging preparations. My Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria and Pakistan: Christianity

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the persecution of Christians in (a) Pakistan and (b) Nigeria.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians, as we are about those of other faiths or beliefs, in many parts of the world. The former Foreign Secretary commissioned an Independent Review into the subject, led by the Bishop of Truro, and the Government has accepted all of its recommendations.Officials and Ministers regularly raise the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government. The former Foreign Secretary discussed the treatment of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi during his visit to the UK in June 2019. Minister of State, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised our concerns with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 February. We have also supported projects in Pakistan to promote greater tolerance and religious freedom and, in November 2018, announced a new £12m fund to bolster the work of civil society and NGOs to promote respect, and the value of religious diversity and tolerance.The UK is committed to supporting Nigeria in upholding the right to freedom of religion or belief, as protected by its constitution. The recent escalation in intercommunal violence has affected multiple states of Nigeria and communities of all religions. We regularly engage faith-based organisations and raise our concerns with the Nigerian government. In northeast Nigeria, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion by attacking both Muslims and Christians who do not subscribe to their extremist views. The UK remains committed to supporting Nigeria in tackling the insurgency through a substantial and increasing package of security, humanitarian and development support.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to uphold the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration; and whether he will support sanctions against persons and institutions that are involved in undermining freedom in Hong Kong.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintained.The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit. In his discussion with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 31 July, the Foreign Secretary raised Hong Kong, including the importance of upholding the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework, which is set out in the Joint Declaration.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Cambridge Analytica

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the minutes of meetings between Cambridge Analytica and (a) his predecessor, the Rt Hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, (b) his Ministers, (c) his special advisers and (d) his officials in December 2016.

Christopher Pincher: ​No minutes relating to meetings between Cambridge Analytica and the then Foreign Secretary, the then Minister for Europe and the Americas, Special Advisors or Foreign & Commonwealth Office officials in December 2016 are held by this department.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chinese authorities on the status of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong; and obligations the Government has to monitor the implementation of the principles established in that Declaration.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintained.The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit. In his discussion with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 31 July, the Foreign Secretary raised Hong Kong, including the importance of upholding the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework, which is set out in the Joint Declaration.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to ease tensions in Hong Kong.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintained.The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit, and the Foreign Secretary has recently spoken with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department have taken to ensure the UK’s obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong are being fulfilled; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintainedThe Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit, and the Foreign Secretary has recently spoken with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Gaza: Health Professions

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that medical workers in Gaza can perform their humanitarian functions without risk of attack.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We are concerned by the report on attacks on health workers and healthcare facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in particular in Gaza. We regularly raise our concerns about the situation with the Israeli Government, pressing them on the need for a long-term strategy to improve humanitarian conditions. We are clear that medical staff and services should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that when attacks on humanitarian workers occur in Gaza those responsible for those attacks are held to account.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK supports an investigation which establishes the facts about the violence in Gaza related to recent protests. Given the importance of accountability, we urge that any investigation be independent and transparent, that its findings be made public, and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account.

Palestinians: Health Professions

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the issue of impunity for attacks against health workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK is clear that no health workers or aid workers should be at risk of violence and that they must have the protection they need from the responsible authorities to allow them to do their jobs in safety. We regularly raise with the Government of Israel the urgent need to ease access and movement restrictions on Gaza, including for health workers. We also stress the importance of protecting civilians, especially children and medical personnel. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

Palestinians: Health Professions

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which Israel’s internal investigations into the killings of Palestinian health workers comply with international standards of independence, impartiality, promptness, thoroughness and transparency.

Dr Andrew Murrison: While we have not made an assessment of this matter, we have stressed to Israel the need for independent and transparent investigations of deaths. We are deeply concerned by deaths and injuries of civilians in Gaza over the last year. We urge the Israeli Government to publish the findings of the investigations launched by the Military Attorney General on 13 March. The UK remains concerned about the use of live ammunition and excessive force by the Israel Defense Forces. While Israel has the right to self-defence, it is vital that its actions are proportionate and seek to avoid civilian casualties.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the UK Government has made to the Indian Government on its revocation of Article 370, granting special status to Indian-administered Kashmir, from the Indian Constitution.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are following the serious situation in Kashmir closely. Events in Kashmir have regional and international implications and we urge calm and caution from all.We are in regular contact with the Government of India. We are also in regular contact with the Government of Pakistan. The PM has spoken with both PM Modi of India and PM Imran Khan of Pakistan. He stressed to both that HMG's position on Kashmir remains unchanged (it is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people). He also underlined the importance of maintaining dialogue. In addition to this, the Foreign Secretary spoke with his Indian counterpart, Dr Jaishankar, on 7 August. He expressed concerns and called for calm. The continued use of detentions and restrictions on communications are worrying. It is important individual rights are fully respected and there should be constructive dialogue with affected communities.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on the revocation of Article 370 of the constitution; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are following the serious situation in Kashmir closely. Events in Kashmir have regional and international implications and we urge calm and caution from all.We are in regular contact with the Government of India. We are also in regular contact with the Government of Pakistan. The PM has spoken with both PM Modi of India and PM Imran Khan of Pakistan. He stressed to both that HMG's position on Kashmir remains unchanged (it is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people). He also underlined the importance of maintaining dialogue. In addition to this, the Foreign Secretary spoke with his Indian counterpart Dr Jaishankar on 7 August. He expressed concerns and called for calm. The continued use of detentions and restrictions on communications are worrying. It is important individual rights are fully respected and there should be constructive dialogue with affected communities.

Albania: Human Trafficking

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Albanian counterpart on human trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: The British Government is committed to the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking globally by 2030, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. We work to combat modern slavery internationally and to engage governments in dialogue, including countries of origin for victims of modern slavery.The United Kingdom has committed £2 million to a programme in Albania through the Home Office Modern Slavery Fund to prevent modern slavery and build capacity to tackle it at source. The Government also agreed a Memorandum of Understanding on intensifying cooperation in the fight against trafficking in human beings with the Albanian Government in 2014. We work closely with the Albanian Government on this issue; our Ambassador last raised it with the Albanian Interior Minister on 29 August.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Venezuelan’s Government’s withdrawal from negotiations with the opposition.

Christopher Pincher: ​We have maintained regular discussions with key actors on Venezuela following British recognition of Juan Guaido as interim Venezuelan President. Through our Ambassador and internationally, we are working closely with like-minded partners to achieve a peaceful resolution to the current crisis and a return to democracy and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.We hope that this, along with sanctions regimes imposed by the EU, the US and Canada, will encourage Nicolas Maduro to re-enter Norwegian-brokered negotiations with the Opposition in good faith.

North Korea: Guided Weapons

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent missile tests in North Korea.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are disappointed that North Korea has conducted multiple short-range ballistic missile tests in recent weeks. These are a violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. The British Government has repeatedly expressed its concern at North Korea’s breaches of international law and has ensured UN Security Council consideration of the matter, most recently on Tuesday 27 August. We urge North Korea to cease these tests and re-engage in talks with the United States. Until the dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, UN sanctions must remain and be fully enforced. It is our firm belief that complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation is the path to a peaceful and more prosperous future for the North Korean people.​

India: Human Rights

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help tackle alleged human rights violations of Dalits and tribal people in India.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We engage with India on the full range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments and with non-governmental organisations to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. The British High Commission recently met the Vice Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities in July to discuss minority rights.We also support local NGOs to deliver projects to promote minority rights. In 2015, we funded a project that trained 500 tribal men and women on women’s rights and access to justice. During 2016-2018, we provided legal training for 2,000 Dalit women to combat violence against them, and helped create a network of Dalit Women Human Rights Defenders in four states. This year, we have launched a network of legal experts to empower Dalit communities in Andhra Pradesh and a helpline for victims of persecution to seek support.​

Julian Assange

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2019 to Question 267367 on Julian Assange, when the UK Government’s response to the Urgent Appeal from the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment will be published.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​The UK is committed to supporting the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The UK response to the 'Urgent Appeal' from the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has been delayed but will be published as soon as it is submitted.

Papua: Armed Conflict

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the statement in the communique of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum that the root causes of the conflict in West Papua relate to the violation of West Papuan’s right to self-determination and the conduct of the 1969 Act of Free Choice.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.In August 2019, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the UK’s capacity as Dialogue Partner (an observer). The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but we have no plans to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia to be a matter for the Indonesian people.UK Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue.

Papua: Armed Conflict

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indonesian counterpart on ending the violence in Papua and West Papua.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.In August 2019, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the UK’s capacity as Dialogue Partner (an observer). The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but we have no plans to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia to be a matter for the Indonesian people.UK Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Aden, Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We are gravely concerned by the recent escalation of violence between southern and Yemeni Government forces in Aden. The UK calls on all parties to cease hostilities and engage urgently in talks.We have always been clear about the fact that a political settlement is the only way to bring long-term peace, stability and security to Yemen. The Yemeni parties must engage constructively and in good faith to overcome obstacles and find a political solution to end the conflict.​

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 277209, which paragraphs in Chapter VI of the Award of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea Tribunal of March 2015 conclude that the 1965 Agreement to the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago was legally binding upon both Mauritius and the United Kingdom.

Christopher Pincher: ​Chapter VI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award (18 March 2015) considers this issue in detail and makes the relevant conclusions in paragraph 428.

Hong Kong: Civil Disorder

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on behalf of (a) British subjects and (b) people with joint British-Chinese nationality on protecting them from the civil unrest in Hong Kong.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​The Foreign Secretary raised the situation in Hong Kong with Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi on 31 July, during which he discussed the importance of upholding the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework.In respect of British Nationals, we keep travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects our assessment of risk to British nationals and includes information on the most relevant issues for British nationals travelling or living abroad. We encourage British people to read our travel advice to help them make informed decisions.In respect of BN(O)s, we maintain that the best solution for all the people of Hong Kong, including the BN(O) passport holders that live there, is full respect for the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Joint Declaration.

Nicaragua: Catholicism

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Nicaraguan counterpart on reports of harassment of the Catholic Church in that country.

Christopher Pincher: ​The United Kingdom is aware of reports of harassment of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, and has been very clear with the Nicaraguan Government that they must take responsibility for ending the current violence and protecting human rights.We continue to follow developments closely, including through contacts with EU and US partners and local stakeholders in the country. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Nicaraguan Government at every opportunity.

Hong Kong: Police Brutality

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government in Hong Kong on instituting an independent inquiry into police brutality.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We note the announcement of a special inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Council. It is crucial that any investigation must be credible and command the trust of the people of Hong Kong. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, when they spoke on 9 August.

Darfur: Peace Negotiations

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions has he had with his Israeli counterpart on (a) the presence of Abdul Wahid from Darfur residing in Israel and (b) the objective of peace-building in Jebba Marra mountains.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue.The UK continues to support peace in Darfur. We encourage all sides to engage in constructive dialogue to find a fair, comprehensive and sustainable solution for all people in Darfur and Sudan.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration is adhered to by all parties.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintained.The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit, and the Foreign Secretary has recently spoken with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

China: Uighurs

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the reported mass detention of Uighur Muslims in China.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I have not yet made representations to my Chinese counterpart on the mass detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang since assuming office on 26 July. However, the former Foreign Secretary highlighted our concerns about Xinjiang with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his last visit to China. The former Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific did the same with Vice Minister Guo Yezhou during his last visit to China. Our Embassy in Beijing also raises our concerns with the Chinese authorities.​

Diplomatic Service: British Nationals Abroad

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many requests for diplomatic protection have been made by British citizens since 2014.

Andrew Stephenson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold statistics on the number of requests for diplomatic protection made by British nationals. Any requests for diplomatic protection would be considered on a case-by-case basis, and it is exercised at the Secretary of State's discretion.Diplomatic protection is a claim by one State against another in respect of an international legal wrong committed against one of its nationals. Diplomatic protection is extremely rare – the case of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is the only recent example of where UK has afforded it.

Israel: Embassies

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contingency planning is being undertaken by his Department on the potential relocation of the UK Embassy in Israel; and when the results of that contingency planning will be made available to Ministers.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it. Our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states.

Papua: Armed Conflict

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the communique of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum, whether the Government will take steps to help tackle the root causes of the conflict in West Papua.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.In August 2019, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the UK’s capacity as Dialogue Partner (an observer). The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but we have no plans to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia to be a matter for the Indonesian people.UK Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK's position is at the UN in relation to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir; and whether the Government opposes the removal of article 370 and 35A by the Indian Government within that region.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: As the Foreign Secretary said in his Statement to the House on 3 September, we are deeply concerned about the situation in Kashmir. We want to see a reduction in tensions in Kashmir, respect for internationally recognised human rights and steps taken on all sides to rebuild confidence. The situation in Kashmir was discussed in the UN Security Council on 16 August and the UK continues to call for restraint and action to address current concerns, and welcome efforts to do so as soon as possible. The UK's longstanding position on Kashmir is that it is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Armenia: Gold

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement made by the former Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Armenia, as reported in the press release of Geotim Company, published 26 June 2013, that Amulsar is the biggest British investment in Armenia, what level of contribution from the public purse has been invested directly or indirectly in Amulsar; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits to UK interests of that investment.

Christopher Pincher: No direct investment from the British public purse has been made in the Amulsar mine project in Armenia, owned and operated by Lydian International Ltd. Both the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have invested in Lydian in the past. As a member of those two international financial institutions, the United Kingdom’s overall financial contribution is channelled to their investments in countries where they operate. The United Kingdom’s membership and support for international financial institutions helps advance sustainable and inclusive growth in developing economies.

Lydian International

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the (a) dates, (b) attendees and (c) items discussed at meetings between representatives of Government and Lydian International between January and July 2019.

Christopher Pincher: The British Embassy meets regularly with businesses active in the Armenian market including Lydian International. British Embassies play an important role in helping to develop business for British companies around the world.​

Kashmir: Telecommunications

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on residents of the Indian Government’s communications lockdown in Kashmir.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are following the serious situation in Kashmir closely and are concerned about the restrictions on communications. Respect for individual rights and constructive dialogue with affected communities is important. We have raised these concerns with the Indian Government. On 7 August the Foreign Secretary discussed this issue with his Indian counterpart Dr Jaishankar. The Prime Minister has also discussed the situation in Kashmir with both PM Modi of India and PM Imran Khan of Pakistan.

Papua: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to respond to the communique of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum raising concerns about the reported escalation in violence and continued allegations of human rights abuses in West Papua.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.In August 2019, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the UK’s capacity as Dialogue Partner (an observer). The UK notes the communique issued at the Pacific Island Forum but we have no plans to respond to it. We regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia to be a matter for the Indonesian people.UK Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Officials also press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns. This includes upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensuring the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue.

North Korea: Guided Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of North Korea's short-range ballistic missile tests on that country's compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are disappointed that North Korea has conducted multiple short-range ballistic missile tests in recent weeks. These are a violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. The British Government has repeatedly expressed its concern at North Korea’s breaches of international law and has ensured UN Security Council consideration of the matter, most recently on Tuesday 27 August. We urge North Korea to cease these tests and re-engage in talks with the United States. Until the dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, UN sanctions must remain and be fully enforced. It is our firm belief that complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation is the path to a peaceful and more prosperous future for the North Korean people.​

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit: Scotland

Martin Docherty-Hughes: What plans he has to meet the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations of the Scottish Government.

James Duddridge: The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union spoke with the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations in the Scottish Government within the first few days of his reappointment.The Secretary of State looks forward to seeing him next at the Joint Ministerial Committee on European Union Negotiations later this month.I have written to my counterparts in the Scottish and Welsh governments and look forward to meeting with them soon.

Brexit

Vicky Ford: What outcome he is seeking in his negotiations with the EU.

James Duddridge: Any deal must abolish the backstop. Our future ambition is for a best in class FTA and wider provisions covering economic, security and cross-cutting cooperation.

Brexit

Hannah Bardell: What recent discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

James Duddridge: The Secretary of State has spoken to both Scottish and Welsh government Ministers twice since his reappointment and I know he looks forward to attending the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations later this month.I have written to my counterparts in the Scottish and Welsh governments, the Welsh Brexit Minister and the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans in the Scottish Government, and look forward to meeting with them soon.

Environment Protection

Ruth Jones: What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on environmental policy of the effect of the UK leaving the EU .

James Duddridge: We continue to have regular conversations with ministerial colleagues across Government on all aspects of exiting the European Union.The Government has been clear that it will not weaken our current environmental protections as we leave the European Union and will maintain and enhance our already high environmental standards.As part of this we will set up a new, ambitious domestic framework for environmental governance.

Brexit: Northern Ireland

Greg Hands: What recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of recommendations of the Alternative Arrangements Commission on arrangements on the Irish border after the UK leaves the EU.

James Duddridge: I welcome the report by the Alternative Arrangements Commission co-chaired by my Right Honourable Friend and I thank him for his continued engagement.We have considered it alongside input from technical experts and businesses to inform our approach to removing the backstop and avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland in the context of negotiations on the future agreement between the UK and the EU.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the rate of mental illness is of (a) males in the richest decile and (b) females in the poorest decile.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information is not available in the format requested.

Mental Health: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the incidence of (a) self harming, (b) eating disorders and (c) mental illness among (i) boys and (ii) girls in each of the last five years.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information is not held in the format requested.

Depressive Illnesses: Mental Health Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will estimate the average cost to the public purse of treating repeated episodes of depression by (a) drugs, (b) individual counselling and (c) mindfulness-based therapy in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ms Nadine Dorries: It is not possible to make such an estimate as reference costs are based on the cost of the average care pathway and are not broken down further by therapy type.National Health Service providers submit reference costs annually. Reference costs detail the average unit cost to the NHS of providing defined services to NHS patients in England in a given financial year.

Mental Health Services: Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of expenditure by his Department on the NHS was spent on mental health services in each of the last 10 years.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information available is in the following table. Information on National Health Service mental health expenditure is not available prior to the introduction of the mental health investment standard from 2015-16. Before the introduction of the mental health investment standard, the NHS was not required to report mental health spend separately.YearTotal Departmental expenditure (£ billions)NHS mental health expenditure (£ billions)Mental health expenditure as a percentage of total Departmental expenditure %2010-11100.4n/a-2011-12102.8n/a-2012-13105.2n/a-2013-14109.8n/a-2014-15113.3n/a-2015-16117.210.99.32016-17120.611.69.62017-18125.211.99.52018-19130.412.119.3Source: Mental Health Five Year Forward View Dashboard Note:1Planned spend. Actual spend is not yet available.

Maternal Mortality: Ethnic Groups

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission an urgent review of maternal care in response to the findings of the MBRRACE-UK maternal deaths and morbidity statistics 2014-16 relating to increased maternal mortality rates for women from BAME communities.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department is funding the Maternal and Neonatal Policy Research Unit at the University of Oxford to investigate the factors associated with the excess perinatal mortality experienced by black, Asian and minority ethnic babies; and identify the factors associated with the excess risk of maternal death for black and South Asian women.The NHS Long Term Plan outlines plans to reduce health inequalities and address unwarranted variation in maternity care. This work is led by NHS England through the Maternity Transformation Programme.Targeted and enhanced continuity of care from the same midwife, or group of midwives can significantly improve outcomes for women. The NHS Long Term plan sets out that 75% of black women will receive continuity of carer from midwives by 2024.

Social Services: Apprentices

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships in social care in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the UK.

Caroline Dinenage: Apprenticeships are an important entry route into the social care sector, offer an excellent opportunity for employers to upskill existing staff and train new staff as part of high-quality training programmes, and provide clear career progression routes through the sector. Social care workforce policy is a devolved matter. We fund our delivery partner Skills for Care to support the sector in England in recruiting apprentices at local and national levels. There were around 550 apprenticeship starts in social care in Lincolnshire in 2017/18. Skills for Care’s Locality Managers offer support and signposting to employers and run workshops and networking events to support the uptake of apprenticeships. The Lincolnshire Care Association provide bespoke support to employers in accessing funding for apprenticeships and ran two symposium events in November 2018 and February 2019. Social care providers in Lincolnshire, supported by the local authority, have also been heavily involved with the first cohorts of the new Nursing Associate apprenticeship. The very first entry on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s register of Nurse Associates was trained and works in social care in Lincolnshire. There were 38,300 apprenticeship starts in social care in England in 2017/18. Skills for Care distribute financial support to employers through the Workforce Development Fund, including access to funding to support employees undertake apprenticeships. Skills for Care also publish information and guidance and run regular networking and information events across the country, to support employers in recruiting apprentices. Skills for Care also supports the Institute for Apprenticeships in carrying out regular reviews of social care apprenticeship standards to ensure standards are fit for purpose and meet the demands of the sector.

Department of Health and Social Care: Cycling

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on schemes to encourage staff of his Department to cycle to work since 2015; and how much his Department has spent on (a) installing bicycle racks and (b) bonus schemes for bicycle use in that time period.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department strives to create an environment in which our employees can flourish by delivering a comprehensive and innovative health and wellbeing programme. As part of this programme and to encourage staff to cycle to work, the Department provides access to a Cycle to Work scheme which enables employees to trade part of their salary for a loan to buy a bike, cycling safety equipment or both and repay through salary sacrifice arrangements. There is no cost to the Department as an employer in providing the scheme as it is delivered as part of the cross-Government employee benefits contract.The Department can confirm that bicycle racks have been installed at Departmental buildings with the total cost of installation since 2015 as £31,291.35.The Department can also confirm that during this time period it has not operated any bonus schemes for bicycle use.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Eleanor Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of NICE modifying its Single Technology Appraisal ICER thresholds to recognise the value of treatments for severe and rare conditions that are not put through NICE’s Highly Specialised Technology pathway.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing its technology appraisal and highly specialised technology evaluation methods. The methods review will include a review of a wide range of methods, including those relevant to severe and rare conditions.The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access 2019 - an agreement between the Government and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry - states that the standard cost effectiveness threshold used by NICE will be retained at the current range (£20,000 - £30,000 per Quality Adjusted Life Year).In the current Single Technology Appraisal process there are several factors that may currently be considered by NICE committees when deliberating, including some that may affect the value of a treatment. NICE’s methods review will explore if these factors are still relevant for patients and the National Health Service, whether there is a need to modify the approach and whether any additional factors should be taken into account when making a recommendation on a technology.The review will also consider other methods that are important for rare and severe conditions, including methods for measuring and valuing the health-related quality of life for people with rare diseases, dealing with uncertainty and sourcing different types of evidence. Proposals will be presented for six weeks of public consultation in the summer of 2020.Furthermore, in parallel with the methods review, NICE is reviewing its highly specialised technologies topic selection criteria – to make them clearer, more specific, and more transparent and predictable.

Tobacco

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps (a) Public Health England and (b) his Department are taking to ensure that smokers are aware that heated tobacco products are less harmful than cigarettes.

Jo Churchill: The consumption of any tobacco product is harmful. Therefore the best thing a smoker can do for their health is to stop use of tobacco products, including heated tobacco products. As part of our commitment to evaluate the evidence of these products, we will run a call for independent evidence to assess how effective heated tobacco products are, or are not, in helping people quit smoking. Furthermore, as committed in the Tobacco Control Plan, Public Health England will continue to review the evidence on e-cigarettes and other novel nicotine delivery systems annually till 2022.

Disability

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Care and Support Statutory Charging Regulations 2014, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the National Association of Financial Assessment Officers average fuel costs figures in comparison with those provided by Ofgem, for the purposes of assessing what constitutes above-average fuel costs for Disability Related Expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The responsibility for interpreting and applying the Regulations and the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance rests with local authorities, taking into account all the available information and taking its own legal advice where appropriate. Where a person receives a disability related benefit, the local authority should assess and allow for the service user’s disability related expenditure and apply flexibility where necessary.The CASS guidance provides in paragraph 41 “What is disability-related expenditure should not be limited to what is necessary for care and support. For example, above average heating costs should be considered.”

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescription penalty charge notices issued by the NHS Business Authority have been overturned because the person was confirmed to have paid in each of the last five years.

Jo Churchill: The following table shows the total number of Penalty Charge Notices closed because the patient had paid for the prescription.Financial Year in which case startedNumber of Cases2014/151,1222015/165,1952016/1710,2742017/1813,4672018/1921,497

Dialysis Machines: Reciprocal Arrangements

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure that existing mutual aid arrangements for dialysis will continue after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Skidmore: The Government has proposed to all European Union Member States that if the United Kingdom leaves the EU without a deal, we should maintain existing healthcare arrangements until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to healthcare provision for UK nationals and EU citizens. This is subject to negotiations, which are ongoing, and we are hopeful that we can agree reciprocal healthcare arrangements.A number of Member States, including Spain and Belgium, have already prepared legislation that will protect the healthcare rights of UK-insured individuals travelling and living in-country after 31 October 2019.

Plastic Surgery: Costs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the NHS has been as a result of correcting or ameliorating the effects of unregulated aesthetic surgery procedures in the last three years.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Neither the Department nor its arm’s length bodies holds the information requested.

Kidney Diseases: Health Services

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to protect the supply and space for storage of medicines, equipment and consumables required for the treatment of kidney disease patients in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Chris Skidmore: As part of a responsible Government, the Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for European Union exit. We want to reassure patients that we should be fully prepared for leaving on 31 October, and that our plans should ensure the supply of medicines and medical products remains uninterrupted when we leave the EU.The Department is implementing a multi-layered approach, which consists of stockpiling where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption Response to manage potential shortages. This should ensure the continuity of supply of medicines and medical products following EU exit. The scope includes medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, including those related to the treatment of kidney disease.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Department is taking to ensure that patients' data held by the NHS is owned by those patients.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Data Protection Act 2018 gives effect to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced in May 2018. The GDPR provides rights in relation to the control of data rather than referring to ownership.The organisation that creates a health record is responsible for the use of information in the record and determines who has access to it and that any access is lawful. In addition, under the national data opt-out an individual has the right to opt out of their confidential patient information being shared beyond their direct care, and under Article 21 of the GDPR, an individual has the right to object to the processing of their personal data under certain circumstances.

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what meetings his Department has had with Wirral Council to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Chris Skidmore: The Department is working with its partners across Government, arm’s length bodies, local authorities, industry and the wider health and care system to ensure that all relevant parties are prepared for exiting the European Union. The quality and safety of patient care is paramount in our preparedness plans. The Department, alongside NHS England and NHS Improvement, is ensuring that there is regular communication with frontline National Health Service organisations and stakeholders in the health and social care sector regarding EU exit preparations. NHS England will be holding EU exit roadshows in the lead up to the 31 October, building on the regular communication that the Department and NHS England has with the frontline.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what impact assessment is being undertaken as part of the consultation on proposals to change the reimbursement arrangements for NHS dispensing contractors.

Jo Churchill: The Department is consulting on changes to the reimbursement of pharmacy contractors. The Department acknowledges in the consultation document that dispensing doctors are one of the groups impacted by these reforms. An impact assessment has been published alongside the consultation document which will be updated with information provided by respondents to the consultation. Changes to payments for dispensing doctors are made through the general practitioner contract.

Alzheimer's Disease: Health Services

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the quality of care provided to people with Alzheimer's in NHS hospitals.

Caroline Dinenage: We remain committed to delivering the Challenge on Dementia 2020 in full to make England the best country in the world for dementia care.The National Audit of Dementia Care in General Hospitals 2018–2019 published in July 2019 and undertaken on behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Welsh Government, shows that improvements have continued in the care of people with dementia in hospitals across England and Wales since the previous audit of 2017. For example, 96% of hospitals in England and Wales now have a system in place for more flexible family visiting and a large number (88%) of carers (and/or patients) receive a copy of the discharge plan.The report is available at the following link:https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/ccqi/national-clinical-audits/national-audit-of-dementia/r4-resources/national-audit-of-dementia-round-4-report-online.pdf?sfvrsn=f75c5b75_6

Mental Health Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to report Neuro Patience: Still Waiting for Improvements in Treatment and Care published by the Kings Fund on 9 July 2019, what steps the Government is taking to improve support for people with neurological conditions who have unmet health, social care and mental health needs.

Caroline Dinenage: The Neuro Patience report, published by the Neurological Alliance, presents the findings of an online survey of the experiences of people with neurological conditions in engaging with health and social care. Patient insights can provide useful intelligence to commissioners and service planners when delivering or reviewing service provision, highlighting areas where improvements can be made.NHS England works to provides tailored national support, enabling local commissioners and providers to drive improvement and ensure services best reflect the needs of individual communities. NHS England also works with patient organisations such as the Neurological Alliance to raise awareness and support improved outcomes for people living with neurological conditions. This includes reflecting on intelligence and insights, such as those provided by the survey report, to drive improvements in care.NHS England established the National Neurology Advisory Group (NNAG) with the Neurological Alliance, which led the development of a national collaborative clinical leadership model, bringing together key stakeholders, a range of national clinical leaders and patient groups. The NNAG, which is co-chaired by Professor Adrian Williams (who serves as chair for NHS England’s neurosciences Clinical Reference Group), aims to support alignment between neurology improvement programmes in NHS England, arm’s length bodies and system partners; and to guide the strategic development of work to improve outcomes for people living with neurological conditions.

Hearing Aids: Research

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support research and development of new hearing aid technology.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department funds research mainly through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The usual practice of the NIHR and other research funders is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including hearing aid technology.In 2017-18 the NIHR was supporting four studies related to hearing aid technology and improving the use of hearing aids through its research infrastructure in the National Health Service. Between 2017 and 2019, the NIHR Clinical Research Network supported eight clinical studies related to hearing aid technology.The NIHR funds three Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) which have research themes related to hearing loss, deafness and hearing health. The total NIHR investment in these three BRC research themes over the five years from 1 April 2017 is £10.9 million. This includes the Manchester BRC that has established the United Kingdom’s only Hearing Device Research Centre to drive innovation in interventions for hearing loss and to accelerate the translation of new hearing technologies into the NHS.

Audiology

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase uptake of NHS hearing services.

Caroline Dinenage: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) together with their local providers are responsible to ensure there are clearly defined referral arrangements in place to facilitate timely access to regular and specialist services when required. The Commissioning Framework for Hearing Loss is guidance for organisations responsible for planning and commissioning local hearing services for deaf people, published in 2016 by NHS England. The Framework offers guidance and models of care that commissioners may utilise to support local needs.The Action Plan on Hearing Loss, published in March 2015, was developed with input from the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, Public Health England, other Government Departments, key stakeholders across the voluntary, professional and private sectors and people with hearing loss. The aim of the Plan is to deliver improved hearing outcomes and support for individuals, and it sets out key objectives including improving prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence, and enabling people to take part in everyday activities, like going to work.In July 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published a quality standard for adult-onset hearing loss. This will support CCGs to improve the commissioning of services.

Radiotherapy: Travel

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of cancer patients that turn down radiotherapy due to the distances involved in travelling to radiotherapy centres.

Jo Churchill: The data are not available in the format requested.

Dialysis Machines: British Nationals Abroad

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that kidney disease patients on dialysis retain the right to receive health care free of charge when travelling to EU states in the event that UK citizens are no longer eligible for the European Health Insurance Card after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Skidmore: The Government has proposed to all European Union Member States that when we leave, we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements including the European Healthcare Insurance Card (EHIC) Scheme until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to healthcare provision for United Kingdom nationals and European Union citizens. This is subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.We understand the concerns of patients who require life-sustaining treatment, such as dialysis, and we are working to secure agreements to ensure ongoing care and treatment in EU Member States is accessible for UK insured individuals.However, it is important that individuals make the best decision for their circumstances post exit day. Advice has been published on NHS.UK and GOV.UK, to help individuals make informed decisions about the options available to them.

Transplant Surgery: Reciprocal Arrangements

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of arrangements for the sharing of human organs for transplantation across EU borders after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Dinenage: The United Kingdom shares small numbers of organs with European Union countries. In 2018/19, 14 organs from deceased donors came into the UK from EU countries, and 13 left the UK.The current UK regulatory frameworks transpose the EU Organ Donation Directives and set high standards of patient safety. We have amended the legislation through The Quality and Safety of Organs Intended for Transplantation (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 to maintain the current safety and quality standards to allow organ exchange to continue following EU Exit.NHS Blood and Transplant is the organisation responsible for organ donation in the UK and is working with their partner organisations in the EU which should ensure that plans are in place to allow organ exchange to continue post-EU Exit.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) increase access to the PrEP impact trial in BAME communities.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) increase access to the PrEP impact trial amongst women at high risk of contracting HIV.

Jo Churchill: A core function of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact Trial Community Advisory Board (CAB) is to raise awareness and uptake of PrEP in key populations including women and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. Further information about PrEP Impact Trial CAB activities and participating community groups can be found at the following links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/blood-and-infection-group-f/f03/prep-trial-updates/https://www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk/faqsIn addition, Public Health England’s Innovation Fund has supported a number of community based projects aimed at increasing PrEP awareness in women, BAME groups and trans communities; information on the projects funded in 2018 can be found at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/innovative-hiv-prevention-projects-reached-170000-people-in-2018Since the start of the PrEP Impact Trial in October 2017, over half of the available 26,000 trial places have been filled. As of 3 September 2019, all participating Trial clinics were open to recruitment for women, trans men and heterosexual men. Information on the enrolment status of participating clinics is regularly updated on the PrEP Impact Trial website at the following link:https://www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk/join-the-trial

Prescription Drugs: Shortages

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons (a) Colesevelam (cholestagel) and (b) other prescription medications are out of stock; and what steps he is taking to resolve the situation.

Jo Churchill: We are aware of a recent supply issue affecting Colesevelam (cholestagel) tablets. This was due to the manufacturer, Sanofi, experiencing distribution issues. However, these issues are now resolved and supplies of Colesevelam (cholestagel) tablets are available in volumes that are sufficient to meet normal United Kingdom demand.Medicines shortages are an ongoing issue that the Department constantly manages.Supply problems can arise for various reasons such as manufacturing issues, problems with raw ingredients and batch failures.The Department has well established processes to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time due to manufacturing or distribution issues.

Medical Treatments

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the supply chains for medicines and medical supplies of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; what steps he is taking to protect ongoing supplies of medicines and medical supplies; and if he will update the dear colleague letter of the 27 June 2019 entitled No deal Brexit contingency planning assumptions for continuity of supply of medicines and medical products.

Chris Skidmore: As part of a responsible Government, the Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for European Union exit. We want to reassure patients that we should be fully prepared for leaving on 31 October, and that our plans should ensure the supply of medicines and medical products remains uninterrupted when we leave the EU.The Department is implementing a multi-layered approach, which consists of stockpiling where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption Response to manage potential shortages. This should ensure the continuity of supply of medicines and medical products following EU exit.We continue to engage with stakeholders and update our communications regularly. We are looking to update Members shortly.

Dementia: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding in the Royal College of Psychiatrists fourth annual National Audit of Dementia Care in General Hospitals 2018-19 that 40 per cent of patients with dementia are not being given an initial assessment for delirium, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all patients with delirium are given an initial delirium assessment as set out in NICE guidelines.

Caroline Dinenage: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines provide recommendations for the care of individuals in specific clinical conditions or circumstances within the National Health Service. NICE’s clinical guidelines help healthcare professionals deliver the best possible care based on the best available evidence. The guidelines are not mandatory, although health and care commissioners are expected to take them fully into account.One of the key priorities of NHS England’s Long Term Plan is to reduce avoidable admissions to hospital and to ensure that, when admission is needed, people with dementia and delirium experience the best possible care.We are committed to further expanding the provision of liaison mental health services so that no acute hospital is without an all-age mental health liaison service in accident and emergency (A&E) departments and inpatient wards by 2020/21. The establishment of acute frailty services in all hospitals with a major A&E department by the end of 2019 will ensure that patients can be assessed, treated and supported by skilled multidisciplinary teams delivering a geriatric assessment within the first hour of arrival. These services will support better identification and treatment of dementia and delirium in hospitals.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to engage women who are at risk to HIV on accessing the PrEP Impact trial.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the lack of availability of places on the PrEP impact trial disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the 26,000 places on the PrEP impact trial will be filled; and what proportion of places will be filled by (a) men who have sex with men and (b) other eligible communities.

Jo Churchill: As of September 2019, over 15,000 individuals are enrolled on the PrEP Impact Trial. The trial aims to recruit up to 26,000 places and several thousand places remain open for recruitment. Of the 153 research clinics participating in the trial, 124 remain open to recruitment for men who have sex with men. Individuals interested in joining the trial can get information on their nearest recruiting clinics from the trial website which is available at the following link:https://www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk/The website is updated on a regular basis.Participation in the trial is on a voluntary basis and it is for clinics and local authorities to decide the number of allocated places they can accept. Recruitment to places in the trial is managed locally by participating clinics.

Health Services: EU Nationals

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Overseas visitor charging: no-deal Brexit guidance for NHS service providers published in April 2019, what guidance his Department has provided to NHS Trusts about how they should carry out eligibility checks for EU citizens seeking healthcare after the 31 October 2019 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement; and how much funding has been allocated to NHS Trusts to enable them to carry out those checks.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Overseas visitor charging: no-deal Brexit guidance for NHS service providers published in April 2019, what steps NHS Trusts will have to take to determine whether EU citizens seeking healthcare after the 31 October 2019 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have secured Settled Status.

Chris Skidmore: In the event that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a deal on 31 October 2019, the Department has advised National Health Service providers that they should continue to establish eligibility for healthcare in the same manner as they do now, including for those EU citizens who have secured Settled Status.The Government has made clear that the rights of EU citizens in the UK on exit day will be protected, and this includes being able to access NHS care without charge on the basis that they are ordinarily resident in the UK. EU citizens already living in the UK on exit day have up until 31 December 2020 to apply for Settled Status, but their access to healthcare will remain the same regardless of whether they apply for Settled Status up to then.No additional funding has been allocated to trusts to carry out eligibility checks for EU citizens. The Chancellor announced on 1 August that he has made an additional £2.1 billion available to prepare for EU Exit which includes the creation of an Operational Contingency Fund, to meet the costs of ‘no deal’ operations. This fund is available for bids where EU Exit operational costs arise that cannot be met by existing funding settlements.

Health Services: EU Nationals

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps Spanish and Portuguese citizens visiting the UK after the 31 October 2019 or residing in the UK but without Settled Status will have to take to prove that they are entitled to free healthcare under the bilateral agreements on healthcare rights for EU citizens in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

Chris Skidmore: The Government has made clear in a ‘no deal’ scenario, the rights of European Union citizens, including Spanish and Portuguese citizens, in the United Kingdom on exit day will be protected. This includes being able to access National Health Service care without charge on the basis that they are ordinarily resident in the UK, and the NHS will apply the same eligibility tests as it does now. It should be noted that EU citizens already living in the UK on exit day have up until 31 December 2020 to apply for Settled Status, but their access to healthcare will remain the same regardless of whether they apply for Settled Status before then.The Government has proposed to all EU Member States that when we leave, we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements including the European Healthcare Insurance Card (EHIC) Scheme until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to healthcare provision for UK nationals and EU citizens. This is subject to agreement by individual EU Member States.For those Spanish and Portuguese citizens visiting the UK after exit day, if agreed under bilateral agreements with Spain and Portugal, visitors will be able to use their EHIC as they do now. Should individual countries not agree to continue reciprocal healthcare, then access to healthcare cover for visitors from those countries may change.Visitors from Spain or Portugal to the UK whose visit begins before and continues over exit day will still be able to use their EHIC during that visit, should they fall ill or have a medical emergency.We welcome action from EU Member States such as Spain and Portugal who have prepared their own legislation for a ‘no deal’ scenario.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people received health testing in the community as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire; and what the age was of people tested.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many casualties from the Grenfell Tower fire were transported to hospital.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Following the Grenfell fire, enhanced health checks were introduced as a result of community concerns. The health checks are delivered though general practitioner practices and a community provider.Since the health checks were established, 1,097 assessments have taken place (to July 2019). Of the 1,097 assessments that have taken place, 52 related to children and young people up to the age of 18. The remainder were adults. The precise age of those individuals assessed has not been collected at this stage but is something that will be considered going forward.On Wednesday 14 June 2017, London Ambulance Service reported 68 casualties had been conveyed to hospitals from Grenfell Tower.Additional National Health Service funding will provide up to £50 million over five years to support physical and mental health services as well as systematic health checks in the Grenfell area.

Prescription Drugs

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement, Millions at risk from antidepressant withdrawal, new review concludes, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence in October 2018, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the accuracy of prescribing guidance issued by the NHS.

Jo Churchill: The Government takes the issue of responsible prescribing seriously. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance for the National Health Service on the safe prescribing and withdrawal management of prescribed drugs associated with dependence and withdrawal. NICE’s guidance will be based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and developed through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NICE expects to publish draft guidance in May 2021 with final guidance in November 2021.On 10 September Public Health England will publish its evidence review on dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines, including anti-depressants. This work is timely as it follows the Chief Medical Officer opioids roundtable held earlier this year and will further our understanding of dependency on prescribed medicines in England and Wales and how such issues should be addressed. We look forward to working with PHE to look at taking forward any recommendations made in the review.

Health Services: South West

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Clinical Commissioning Group for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire on the effect on medical services of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Chris Skidmore: The Department is working with its partners across Government, arm’s length bodies, local authorities, industry and the wider health and care system to ensure that all relevant parties are prepared for exiting the European Union. The quality and safety of patient care is paramount in our preparedness plans. In August 2019, the Department published up-to-date guidance on GOV.UK on what local authorities can do to prepare for EU Exit. This covers a range of issues including workforce, business continuity planning, data sharing, and the continuity of supply of medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, and of non-clinical goods and services. It also provides key contact information and signposts where local authorities and providers can go for further support. We continue to work closely with the health and social care sector to ensure that this guidance is accurate, practical and up-to-date.The Department, in consultation with the devolved administrations, has been working with trade bodies, product suppliers, and the health and care system in England to make detailed plans that should help ensure continuation of the supply of medical products to the whole of the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies following the UK’s departure from the EUThe Department, alongside NHS England and NHS Improvement, are ensuring that there is regular communication with frontline NHS organisations and stakeholders in the health and social care sector regarding EU Exit preparations. NHS England will be holding EU Exit Roadshow’s in the lead up to the 31 October building on the regular communication that the Department and NHS England has with the frontline.

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Bristol City Council on the effect on social care of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department is working closely with local authorities, other government departments and with national partners, including the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, to do everything appropriate to prepare for a ‘no deal’ exit from the European Union on 31 October 2019. This will ensure that the potential impacts of exit on vulnerable people using adult social care services are mitigated as far as possible.The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has stepped up its preparedness significantly and is speaking regularly to councils and partners, including through a delivery board and a network of nine regional lead chief executives. Every council has designated a ‘Brexit Lead Officer’ to work with central government to intensify their local preparations and, in total, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has made £77 million available to help local areas get ready for EU exit.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Chris Skidmore: The Department is working with its partners across Government, arms length bodies, local authorities, industry and the wider health and care system to ensure that all relevant parties are prepared for exiting the European Union. The quality and safety of patient care is paramount in our preparedness plans. In August 2019, the Department published up-to-date guidance on GOV.UK on what local authorities can do to prepare for EU Exit. This covers a range of issues including workforce, business continuity planning, data sharing, and the continuity of supply of medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, and of non-clinical goods and services. It also provides key contact information and signposts where local authorities and providers can go for further support. We continue to work closely with the health and social care sector to ensure that this guidance is accurate, practical and up-to-date.The Department, in consultation with the Devolved Administrations (DAs), has been working with trade bodies, product suppliers, and the health and care system in England to make detailed plans that should help ensure continuation of the supply of medical products to the whole of the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies following the UK’s departure from the EUThe Department, alongside NHS England and Improvement, are ensuring that there is regular communication with frontline National Health Service organisations and stakeholders in the Health and Social Care sector regarding EU Exit preparations. NHS England will be holding EU Exit Roadshow’s in the lead up to the 31 October building on the regular communication that the Department and NHS England has with the frontline on the Health and Social Care sector.

NHS Business Services Authority: Furniture

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost of purchasing office furniture for NHS Business Authority offices was in (a) the North West and (b) the North East in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The NHS Business Service Authority has provided the following response, detailing expenditure on office furniture over the past five years. Start dateEnd DateNorth WestNorth East1 January 201431 December 2014£11,240.19£142,704.781 January 201531 December 2015£108,214.99£322,861.481 January 201631 December 2016£373,097.90£564,324.201 January 201731 December 2017£87,466.36£313,385.521 January 201831 December 2018£21,216.57£1,551,559.071 January 201931 December 2019£2,855.03£532,204.97

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to engage with representatives of dispensing practices on the proposed changes to the reimbursement for the costs of drugs dispensed by NHS contractors.

Jo Churchill: The Department has informed all relevant stakeholder representative bodies, including the British Medical Association and the Dispensing Doctors’ Association, about the consultation and has offered meetings to explain the proposals and answer any questions. Some representative bodies have taken up this offer.

Care Homes: Recreation Spaces

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it compulsory for all residential nursing and care homes to have outdoor recreational space.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government has no plans to make it compulsory for residential care settings to have outdoor recreational space but is committed to ensuring that local authorities offer a meaningful choice of adult social care services to people in their local area. That is why the Care Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to shape their local markets and ensure that people have a range of high-quality, person-centred care and support options available to them, and that they can access the services that best meet their needs.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on improving the experience of care and support for people using care services and recommends that day and residential care settings should enable people to choose from a range of leisure activities that allow them to participate in a variety of aspects of daily life. This includes recreational activities that take place outside the home.The Care Quality Commission, which monitors, inspects and regulates the quality of adult social care services, is also clear that everyone should have the right to person-centred care that is tailored to and meets their needs and preferences.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of cervical screening to women with a physical disability.

Jo Churchill: NHS England is continuously investing in initiatives to help ensure equality of access to screening and, through the public health functions agreement (S7a), NHS England aims to improve public health outcomes and reduce inequalities.General practitioner practices are required to ensure that their premises are suitable for the delivery of essential and where appropriate additional services, and that they are sufficient to meet the reasonable needs of its patients, including those with disabilities. This would involve making any reasonable adjustments necessary, or making alternative arrangements such as referral to a specialist screening provider or undertaking the procedures in another setting that is more suitable given any limitations to a patient’s mobility. Where a patient requires specialist equipment, clinical staff will ensure that patients have access to its use in a safe environment.Guidance states that patients should be given an opportunity to express a preference in order to access a setting most appropriate to their needs.As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has asked Sir Mike Richards to lead a review of the current cancer screening programmes. The review will be finalised in autumn 2019, and will make recommendations to further improve the delivery of the screening programmes, including cervical screening. The Department will take forward the findings of the review once published.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is Government policy to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP target on overseas aid.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is the Government’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of our Gross National Income on overseas aid. It is enshrined in law and in the Conservative manifesto and was re-affirmed by the Secretary of State upon his appointment. The chancellor reiterated this commitment announcing the Spending Round. This commitment shows we are an enterprising, outward-looking and truly global Britain that is fully engaged with the world.

Overseas Aid

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government remains committed to contributing 0.7 per cent of UK GNI in Official Development Assistance.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Government’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of our Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance is enshrined in law and in the Conservative manifesto and was re-affirmed by the Secretary of State upon his appointment. The chancellor reiterated this commitment announcing the Spending Round.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any UK Aid-funded facilities in Yemen have been (a) damaged and (b) destroyed by airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Since the Yemen conflict began in 2015, our partners have reported two incidents to us in which UK funded assets incurred damage as a result of the conflict.

Department for International Development: Brexit

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many FTE staff in his Department are working on preparations for the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Around 100 staff from across the Department for International Development are working to support both DFID’s preparations and preparations across Government for the UK leaving the EU, both with and without a deal.

Department for International Development: Brexit

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many hours have staff in his Department spent in each of the last 12 months on preparations in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Dr Andrew Murrison: DFID operates a flexible working policy and staff hours worked are not tracked centrally by DFID HR in line with DFID policy. As such the information required to answer this question would require collation of individual records held at team level and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

Yemen: International Assistance

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access for humanitarian supplies from the port of Aden, Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK tracks Yemen’s imports and ports to monitor trends and predict pressure points in humanitarian supplies.Although Aden port remains operational, we are concerned by a backlog of 15,000 containers waiting to be processed. Fighting across the south of the country has also closed many major overland routes, affecting the onward delivery of commercial goods and humanitarian services.The UK regularly raises humanitarian concerns with all parties to the conflict, calling on them to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 and to facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian and commercial supplies, including through Aden port and onward movement across the country.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the recent escalation of military activity in Aden, Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK is monitoring the humanitarian impact felt in the south of Yemen. The UN has so far verified 13 civilian deaths and 70 civilian injuries since fighting escalated, and has reported over 1,600 families and 1,000 individuals have been displaced to northern governates in August. Major overland routes in the south have closed and a backlog of 15,000 containers in Aden port is waiting to be processed. This is affecting the delivery of commercial goods and humanitarian services, including challenges for UN agencies transferring goods between Aden and the north. The UK regularly raises humanitarian concerns with all parties to the conflict, calling on them to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 and facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered access for humanitarian and commercial supplies, including through Aden Port.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Hearing Impairment

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a central bursary fund to train teachers specialising in teaching children with a hearing impairment; and what plans he has to address the shortage of specialised teachers in this area.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a bursary scheme to support the training of new teachers of the deaf.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The department received a proposal from the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) for a central bursary scheme to fund trainee teachers of the hearing impaired. After consideration the department found that it did not provide strong enough evidence that a bursary is the solution to the declining numbers of trained teachers of the deaf.Officials are working with NDCS and other organisations in the sensory impairment sector to identify non-bursary solutions to support teachers wishing to train as teachers of the deaf, or teachers for the sensory impaired more widely.

Young People: Carers

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made in improving access to adequate support for young carers to tackle loneliness and social isolation.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The government is committed to supporting young carers so that they are properly protected from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities and supported to achieve their full potential. Consistent identification remains challenging, with many being ‘hidden’ and therefore unrecognised and/or unsupported.Changes through the Children and Families Act 2014 simplified the legislation relating to young adult carers’ assessments, making rights and duties clearer to both young people and practitioners. This included promoting whole family approaches which triggers both children’s or young people's and adults’ support services into action – assessing why a child is caring, what needs to change and what would help the family to prevent children or young people from taking on this responsibility in the first place.Most of the government’s work to support carers is led by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) delivered through the Carers Action Plan. The 'Shaping our Future: Improving Assessment and Support for Young Carers Transition to Adulthood' report was published in June and is available from here:https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/young-carer_transition_report.pdf.One of the recommendations states that there is more to learn about young carers’ experiences of loneliness and how it is related to their well-being. There should be a specific focus on young adult carers being better connected in order to tackle the loneliness they experience. DHSC will be sharing the findings of the report with the appropriate government departments for them to consider the recommendations within their policies.We have recently published the Children in Need Review conclusion, and this sets out our approach to helping schools and children’s social care improve the educational outcomes of children in need, including those young carers assessed as being in need.

Apprentices: Degrees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the importance of transparency on setting and lowering funding bands for degree apprenticeships.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: As part of its agreed responsibilities, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education recommends and reviews funding bands to make sure that employers can access high quality apprenticeships, and that funding bands represent good value for money for employers and the government.The Institute has highlighted its intention to improve transparency in its approach towards pricing all apprenticeships and will work with trailblazer groups of employers to test improvements. Details can be found in their Business Plan 2019-2020, available here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/about/business-plan-2019-2020/.The government’s strategic guidance to the Institute asks it to go further in improving understanding of its work and being responsive to employers’ feedback regarding the funding band process for all apprenticeships, including Level 6+ and degree apprenticeships. The strategic guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790021/Strategic_Guidance_to_the_Institute_2019-20.pdf.

Primary Education: Admissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2019 to Question 263684, what assessment his Department has made of the overall compliance of schools in England with equalities law and the schools admission code in their admittance and treatment of children with SEND.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2019 to Question 263684, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the reported practice of parents and reviewing bodies of schools seeking to avoid compliance with equalities law and the schools admission code in their admittance and treatment of children with SEND.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The admission authorities of all mainstream state-funded schools must comply with the School Admissions Code and with equalities law when determining and applying their admission arrangements.The Admissions Code includes provisions relating to the admission of children with special educational needs and disabilities, both in relation to those children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and those who do not. Where a child has an EHCP that names a particular mainstream or special school, the school has a legal duty to admit that child.If anyone considers that a school’s admission arrangements are not lawful they may object to the Schools Adjudicator, whose decisions are binding and enforceable. The parents of any child refused admission to a mainstream school also has the right of appeal to an independent appeals panel.Any parent who feels their admission appeal was not carried out properly can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (for maintained schools) or the Education, Skills and Funding Agency (for academies).

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of funding for special education needs pupils in schools.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Our ambitions for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are exactly the same as for every other child and young person. As part of this, we are pleased to announce that we will be providing an additional £700 million, 10% in high needs funding next year alone, which will help local authorities to ensure that they can continue to offer the right support for children and young people with the most complex SEND.

Lifelong Education

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to lifelong learning.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Our adult skills system seeks to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. It supports people who are starting out in their careers, those who want to upskill and those who want or need to change careers.Adult skills and lifelong learning provision includes:Apprenticeships: Our reforms to apprenticeships are benefiting people of all ages and backgrounds, including adults developing their skills. We have given employers the flexibility to offer apprenticeships to both new recruits and existing staff, supporting the creation of quality workplace training opportunities and life-long learning. Adult Education Budget (AEB) funded provision: The AEB fully funds or co-fund skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3 (including traineeships) to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. It also enables flexible tailored programmes of learning to be made available which do not need to include a qualification. From 1 August 2019, approximately half of the AEB has been devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority (GLA). From this date the MCAs and GLA can use the devolved AEB to shape education and skills provision in a way that best fits the needs of their residents and local economy. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will be responsible for funding AEB learners resident in non-devolved areas. Part-time higher education (HE) provision: Flexible and part-time HE has a key role in terms of widening choice and participation in HE for adults. The National Retraining Scheme: The National Retraining Scheme is a new programme which is currently being developed as part of the government’s answer to the transforming world of work. The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for the future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs. Advanced Learner Loans support clear routes into work, progression within work and progression to higher education, by providing fees support for level 3 to level 6 qualifications. Access to multiple Advanced Learner Loans enables adults to progress or re-skill. European Social Fund (ESF) funded provision: The ESF is an EU programme that delivers £3 billion (over 7 years) of employment/training provision to support those furthest from learning and the labour market. DfE and ESFA are one of several Co-Financing Organisations that procure provision on behalf of Local Enterprise Partnerships and deliver on average £150 million of skills provision per annum. Provision is a mixture of regulated and unregulated employment and skills courses with a strong focus on additional and ‘wraparound’ support (for example, employability skills, confidence building, mentoring to overcome personal barriers to learning and/or employment).

Schools: Weather

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had on publishing guidance on safe temperature in schools and replacing school uniform policy in hot weather.

Nick Gibb: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their staff and others present in the workplace (including schools) meaning they should seek to protect against excessive working temperatures.Similarly, Regulation 7 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires employers to ensure that temperatures in workplaces should be reasonable.The Department published updated guidance for new school buildings in 2018 that covers indoor temperatures and measures to reduce overheating. This can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ventilation-thermal-comfort-and-indoor-air-quality-in-schools. The Department is also working with wider industry to develop good practice in response to climate change to ensure we have a sustainable school estate.Guidance for schools during a heat wave is widely available for both indoor and outdoor activities including practical advice that includes relaxation of uniform policy. It is for the governing body of a school (or in the case of academies, the academy trust) to decide rules relating to appearance, including whether there should be a school uniform.Public Health England guidance for teachers and schools for early years provision during heatwaves is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/428850/Looking_After_Children_Heat_PHE_AC_AB_Publications_MP_JRM_FINAL.PDF.

Religion: Education

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations have been received by his Department on the provision of RE teaching in schools as part of a broad and balanced curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department receives regular representation on the matter of religious education (RE). For example, I attended a panel discussion at the All Party Parliamentary Group on RE on 16 July.All state funded schools are required by legislation or by their funding agreements to teach RE to all registered pupils aged 5 to 18 years. Teaching RE is also central to the duty on state schools to teach a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral and cultural development of pupils.

History: GCE A-level and GCSE

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of pupils learning about the British Empire at (a) GCSE and (b) A level.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) quality and (b) quantity of British Empire history modules offered by exam boards at (a) GCSE and (b) A level.

Nick Gibb: The history curriculum gives teachers and schools the freedom and flexibility to use specific examples from history to teach pupils about the history of Britain and the wider world. This can include the topic of the British Empire. Schools and teachers are able to determine which examples, topics and resources to use to stimulate and challenge pupils, as well as reflect key points in history. A high quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past, and that of the wider world. The Department does not estimate the numbers of pupils being taught specific topics within the curriculum. Entries to history GCSE have increased by 7% from 2018, and there has been a 5% increase to A level history this year, meaning that history A level entries are now at a higher level than in 2010. The Department sets out the subject content for GCSE and A level history. Within this framework, exam boards have the flexibility to offer a greater focus on particular knowledge areas within the scope of the subject content, including, if they choose, the British Empire. Exam boards can only award GCSEs and A levels once the Office for Qualifications and Examinations regulation (Ofqual) accredits them. Ofqual accredits qualifications when it is confident that the exam board can comply with the requirements for the qualification on an ongoing basis. Although the subject content does not specifically require teaching on the British Empire, both GCSE and A level history must include a substantial element of British history and/or the history of England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. The new GCSE subject content requires a minimum of 40% British history, and the new A level subject content requires a minimum of 20% British history.

Higher Education: Equal Pay

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the gender pay gap in higher education (a) at Portsmouth University and (b) in the UK.

Gavin Williamson: Since April 2017, employers with more than 250 staff are required by law to annually report gender pay gap information. All of the gender pay gap data published by organisations, including the University of Portsmouth, is available on the government’s reporting website: https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/.

STEM Subjects: Higher Education

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect on funding for STEM subjects at higher education institutions of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Gavin Williamson: Part of the teaching grant funding that the government provides to eligible higher education (HE) providers, via the Office for Students, is allocated to support the provision of high-cost subjects, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. We do not expect this funding arrangement to change as a result of Brexit. We do not expect any significant short-term increase in the vulnerability of HE providers to financial failure as a result of no deal EU Exit. The income shock from EU exit, deal or otherwise, is expected to be ‘manageable’, and any effect will not lead to a cliff-edge. Department for Education officials engage regularly with HE institutions in relation to HE funding and the provision of high-priority courses such as STEM, as well as on EU Exit.

STEM Subjects: Higher Education

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with universities on the effect of higher education funding arrangements on the sustainability of STEM courses in (a) Portsmouth and (b) the UK.

Gavin Williamson: Part of the teaching grant funding that the government provides to eligible higher education providers, via the Office for Students, is allocated to support the provision of high-cost subjects, including most science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.As part of the government’s Post-18 Education and Funding Review, the department will be considering recommendations made by the independent panel carefully. The government has not yet made a decision regarding the recommendations put forward. The department will continue to engage with stakeholders as it considers the recommendations.Discussions with stakeholders are likely to include higher education funding and provision of high-priority courses, such as STEM.

Schools: Uniforms

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to make school uniforms and PE kits more affordable for families on low incomes.

Nick Gibb: It is for the governing body of a school, or in the case of academies, the academy trust, to decide rules relating to appearance including whether there should be a school uniform, what it will be and how it should be sourced.No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend, a school of their choice. The Department’s best-practice guidance advises schools that they should give the highest priority to cost considerations and achieving value for money for parents.The Department intends to put the school uniform guidance on a statutory footing when a suitable opportunity arises and the guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform.

Children: Protection

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations made by Missing Families in its report entitled All of us were broken, published 29 July 2019; and what steps he is taking to improve protections and support for children at risk of exploitation and their families.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The department welcomes Missing People’s work on this matter and, together with the Home Office, will give due consideration to the report’s recommendations. To improve protections and support for children at risk of exploitation and their families, we have strengthened local safeguarding arrangements through the Children and Social Work Act (2017). We have placed a duty on safeguarding partners – the police, health and the local authority – to work together to make plans to keep children safe and be accountable for how well agencies work together to protect children from abuse and neglect in their local area. These new arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children must be implemented by safeguarding partners by the end of September 2019. It will be for local determination regarding what the arrangements cover, but they must set out how all children, including those at risk of child criminal exploitation, will be kept safe. In order to ensure transparency regarding the activities undertaken, the safeguarding partners must publish a report, at least once in every 12-month period, setting out what they have done as a result of the arrangements and how effective these arrangements have been in practice. In 2018 we revised the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory safeguarding guidance documents to reflect new and emerging risks of harm to children including county lines, criminal exploitation and other harms from outside the home.The department is also funding a £2 million Tackling Child Exploitation support programme to provide evidence-based expertise, advice and practical support to safeguarding partners in local areas to develop an effective multi-agency response to extra-familial harms such as child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and gang and drug involvement that exploit vulnerable children.

Truancy

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will respond to the petition entitled Stop treating school refusal as truancy hosted by 38 Degrees from Not Fine in School which calls for the creation of a new legal attendance / absence code that will measure the scale of school refusal.

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the petition  entitled Stop treating school refusal as truancy hosted by 38 Degrees from Not Fine in School, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new legal attendance / absence code to measure the scale of school refusal.

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools are consistent in their responses to cases of school refusal.

Nick Gibb: The Department trusts schools to record, authorise and monitor attendance effectively and to work constructively with individual parents and pupils to improve school attendance where it is a problem. The law places a duty on parents to ensure that their child attends school regularly where the child is of compulsory school age and registered at a school. The Education Act 1996 also sets out the situations in which an absent pupil will not be taken to have failed to attend school regularly, such as where the child was prevented from attending due to illness. The Department recognises that mental health problems can have an impact on a pupil’s attendance and the guidance to schools is clear that they should authorise pupil absence due to illness (both physical and mental health related) unless they have genuine cause for concern about the veracity of an illness. If the authenticity of illness is in doubt, schools can request parents to provide medical evidence to support absence, but this is not mandatory. The statutory Special Educational Need and Disability Code of Practice sets out the approach that schools should take when staff notice an emerging issue, including mental health issues. Where more serious problems occur, schools should expect pupils and families to be able to access support from specialist services. Local authorities must arrange suitable full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness, would not receive suitable education without such provision. The Department’s statutory guidance states that local authorities should provide such education as soon as it is clear that a child will be away from school for 15 days or more, whether consecutive or cumulative.

Apprentices: Taxation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the value of apprenticeship levy funds expiring from employers' accounts was in August 2019; and what plans the Government has for the allocation of those funds.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the value of apprenticeship levy funds expiring from employers' accounts was in July 2019; and what plans the Government has for those funds.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The amount of funds expiring in employers’ digital apprenticeship service accounts in July 2019 was £44 million, and in August 2019 it was £52 million.As well as funding apprenticeships in levy-paying employers, levy contributions are also used to fund training for existing apprenticeship learners and new apprenticeships in employers that do not pay the levy. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds in their accounts, though they are able to do this if they wish.

Education: Disadvantaged

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings of the annual report by the Education Policy Institute, published in July 2019, what steps he will take to tackle the education disadvantage gap.

Nick Gibb: The Department welcomes the focus this report brings and will consider its recommendations carefully, given the Department’s commitment to closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. Since 2011, the attainment gap has narrowed by more than 9% at age 16 and more than 13% at age 11. The Department’s reforms and the extra support funded by the pupil premium have contributed to this improvement.The Department established the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) with £137 million to research in hundreds of English schools the most effective ways of using pupil premium, and promote these so that all schools can make a difference to their disadvantaged pupils’ futures. In June 2019, the EEF published a ‘Pupil Premium Guide’ that gives schools clear advice about how best to use the pupil premium grant. The Department encourages all schools to use this guide, which can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/pupil-premium-guide/. The Department seeks to ensure no pupils are left behind – hence the targeted support in some of the most socially immobile areas of the country through the £72 million opportunity areas programme and the Department’s commitment to halve the proportion of children who finish reception year without the communication and reading skills they need to thrive.

School Exclusions Review

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the consultation on the recommendations  of the Timpson Review will include (a) socio-economic and (b) ethnic trends in school exclusions.

Nick Gibb: The Government is taking forward an ambitious programme of action which will respect head teachers’ powers to use exclusion, while also equipping schools to support children at risk of exclusion, and ensuring excluded children continue to receive a good education. As part of this, the Department will make schools responsible for pupils who are permanently excluded and will launch a consultation on how to deliver this in practice.In designing this consultation, the Department is working with leaders from across the education sector and will consider the findings of the Timpson Review on disparities in exclusion rates between different groups of children. In response to the review, the Government called on the Directors of Children’s Services, governing bodies, academy trusts, and local forums of schools to review information on children who leave schools, by exclusion or otherwise, and to establish a shared understanding of how the data on the characteristics of such children feeds local trends.

Schools: Security

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department will publish the (a) results and (b) final guidance from the consultation on school security.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The department is currently considering the results of a public consultation on new security guidance for schools and colleges, with the intention of publishing this later in the year. We will publish the department’s response to the consultation at the same time we publish the guidance.

Electronic Publishing: VAT Zero Rating

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the zero-rating of VAT on digital publications.

Nick Gibb: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Department for Education's agenda.

Schools: Staff

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the post on his Department's education in the media blog, entitled Supporting teachers for the upcoming year, dated 30 August 2019, for what reason were representatives of trades unions representing school support staff not invited to attend the meeting with education trade unions on 29 August 2019; and what plans he has to meet those trades unions.

Nick Gibb: The meeting on 29 August 2019 between my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and unions representing teachers and school leaders was an opportunity to discuss issues particularly relevant to those members of the school workforce, including how we can recruit and retain the best and most experienced teachers. The Department for Education regularly engages with unions representing school support staff and that engagement will continue.

Ministry of Justice

Prosecutions: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 were made in Scotland in the last five years.

Edward Argar: The Malicious Communications Act 1988 only extends to England and Wales. Data collected by the Ministry of Justice is only available, therefore, for prosecutions that occur in England and Wales.

Ministry of Justice: Mental Health Services

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mental health support his Department provides to people employed in the justice and custodial sector.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recognises the importance of mental wellbeing and offers a wide range of mental health support to employees working in all its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies, which includes HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). This is captured in our Mental Health Strategy. MoJ has a network of Mental Health Allies, trained staff volunteers, working across MoJ to support staff.MoJ offers all staff access to an Occupational Health (OH) service. For staff working in HMPPS this includes additional access to specialist Mental Health Advisers. All MoJ staff have access to our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP). The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It includes:six free counselling sessions per year (these can be extended in certain circumstances)Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) where recommended by our OH providers.trauma and critical incident support.a range of workshops covering mental health for staff and line managers.We have dedicated mental wellbeing intranet pages that all staff can access. Content includes, stress support tools and stress risk assessment forms, guidance for managers on how to support employees with mental ill health and links to external organisations. HMPPS offer staff “Live learning” programmes aimed at supporting the mental health of new Prison Officer recruits. Prison Officers are also supported by a variety of peer support groups such as Wellbeing Champions, the Chaplaincy Team, and Care teams.

Ministry of Justice: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides to people employed in the justice and custodial sector who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Edward Argar: At the Ministry of Justice, all staff in all its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies, which includes HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) have access to our Occupational Health provision and our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) services. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be identified through an Occupational Health referral. In addition, within HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Mental Health Advisers, specialist advisers, provided by our OH supplier can identify treatment for PTSD, following a work related traumatic incident. Where PTSD is diagnosed MoJ employees will be referred for bespoke support provided by our EAP in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR). These treatments have been identified as best practice in NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines. In HMPPS we plan to implement TRiM (Trauma Management) training for prison based staff. This will take place in ten prisons with imminent roll out across the estate. TRiM is a mental health assessment approach used by the military to detect PTSD and will provide an additional method of recognising the condition which will allow employees to be fast tracked to the appropriate therapy.

Ministry of Justice: Buildings

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many repairs to his Department’s buildings were outstanding in each of the last 12 quarters.

Edward Argar: The information can only be provided at disproportionate cost. There is a rolling programme of repairs and investment in place to address the highest priority areas of maintenance based around building condition, criticality and usage. This is regularly reviewed to ensure that the needs of the estate are combined with the operational needs of the department subject to the available levels of funding.

Youth Offending Teams: EEA Nationals

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children that are EEA nationals receive services from youth offending teams.

Wendy Morton: This information is not held by MoJ or the Youth Justice Board. Although local level Youth Offending Services have the ability to collect data on children’s nationality using their case management systems, it is unknown how many actually do record this information because the Youth Justice Board do not collate data on nationality centrally. This is done to reduce the data reporting burden on frontline services.

Young Offenders: EEA Nationals

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Justice, what processes his Department has put in place to ensure that children that are EEA nationals who come into contact with the criminal justice system can be identified for the purposes of providing advice and support.

Wendy Morton: Youth Offending Services (YOS) were established in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which introduced a statutory duty for all local authorities to establish a multi-agency team, with members from police, social services, probation and education, to deliver youth justice services. YOS have a statutory duty to:provide appropriate adults for children detained or being interviewed at the police station and provide support for children on bail;help young people and their families through court proceedings;write pre-sentence reports for the courts advising on appropriate interventions;supervise young people serving a community sentence;stay in touch with a young person if they’re sentenced to custody; andassist in the child’s resettlement post-custody.All children who come into contact with the YOS (including EEA nationals) will have their individual circumstances and needs assessed and will receive interventions and support accordingly.

Legal Aid Scheme

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the effect of (a) court closures and (b) the reduction of funding for legal aid on trends in the level of access to justice.

Wendy Morton: The closure of a court is subject to public consultation and a decision to close is not taken lightly. In every case, the Lord Chancellor will only agree to close a court when satisfied that effective access to justice can be maintained. Every person should have access to legal advice when they need it – that’s why the Legal Aid Agency keeps availability under constant review and takes urgent action whenever it has concerns. There are enough solicitors and barristers for criminal legal aid-funded cases across England and Wales and the Civil Legal Advice Telephone Service, offers legal services in a range of issues to those who need it. We are investing £5m in innovative new technologies to help people access legal support wherever they are in England and Wales.

Translation Services

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 275723 on translation services, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in expenditure between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 financial years.

Wendy Morton: Spend on language services increased in October 2016 as a result of an intentional move by the Ministry of Justice to increase the quality of the services. A new set of contracts commenced in 2016 which included various improvements based on independent recommendations made about the previous contract. These changes included a more robust performance management regime, improved data and the implementation of a new quality assurance service. Spend on Language Services is expected to fluctuate due to the nature of the contracts being demand led.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for personal independence payment appeals to be decided at HM Courts & Tribunals Service Ashford.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice expects appeal hearings to take place as quickly as possible and is carrying out a series of initiatives to increase capacity which will help reduce waiting times for appellants in Ashford. Since September 2018, three additional judges have been allocated to Ashford as their primary venue and three further judges have been allocated to Ashford as their secondary venue. Furthermore, from November this year the capacity at the Ashford venue will increase from three hearing rooms to four on a daily basis and from August 2019, appeals to be heard at the Ashford venue can now be heard at a new venue in Hastings, depending on the appellant’s postcode.

Unsolicited Goods and Services: Vulnerable Adults

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that vulnerable people are protected from aggressive or unsolicited sales techniques in the legal services sector.

Edward Argar: The direct regulation of the legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government. Regulators in the legal services sector, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board, have strict rules on how individuals and firms should deliver their services. Individuals should approach the relevant regulator directly if they have any specific concerns, and further details can be found on their respective websites.

Marriage

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much is allocated to be spent from the public purse on conducting the Law Commission's review of the law on how and where people can marry in England and Wales.

Wendy Morton: The cost of the project to review the law on weddings and provide recommendations for a simple, fair and consistent system which gives couples choice in to marry in a way that is meaningful to them will be approximately £400,000. This cost is for the resource for two years of a project team made up of one full-time lawyer, one full-time research assistant, a proportion of the time of a team manager and some travel, publication and translation costs (totalling approximately £150,000 per year) plus the cost of engaging a specialist academic (£50,000 per year).

Kirklevington Grange Prison: Brexit

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what meetings his Department has had with Kirklevington prison on preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Edward Argar: The department is working closely and meets regularly with HMPPS to consider the impacts on prisons of leaving the EU without a deal. Preparations include ensuring that our food and retail contracts have alternative arrangements in case of disruption through ports; working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure that the supply of health products to prisoners is not disrupted; and co-operating with other government departments to prepare for other contingencies.

Probate: Computer Software

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2019 to Question 278565 on Probate: Computer Software, at what point in the Probate application process is user feedback requested; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: The 93% user satisfaction figure for the online probate service is obtained via an exit survey once an application has been submitted.

Marriage: Humanism

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of immediately laying an order under Section 14 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 to give legal recognition to humanist marriages rather than waiting for the outcome of the Law Commission’s review into that matter.

Wendy Morton: The Law Commission review that the Government announced this June is a fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission’s recommendations. Assessment of the potential merits of provision for non-religious belief marriages can be found in the consultation paper and response published by a previous Government in 2014 and available at justice.gov.uk. Exercising the power in section 14 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 to provide for legally binding non-religious belief marriage, including humanist marriage, would provide a freedom to marry in a way that would not be available to many other people who wish to marry. That is why the Government asked the Law Commission to carry out a fundamental review of the law on how and where couples can marry. It is a law that has been added to over several centuries without any systematic reform.

Repossession Orders

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to her Department's publication, Mortgage and landlord possession statistics in England and Wales, April to June 2019 (provisional), published on 8 August 2019, which large mortgage provider has driven up the number of home repossessions to their highest level since 2014.

Edward Argar: The organisation was required to provide its details to enable the court to process its possession claims. It would be inappropriate to release such information where it would be likely to prejudice an organisation’s commercial interests.

Translation Services: Finance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding was allocated to each provider of translation services in each financial year since 2010-11.

Edward Argar: The table below shows the amounts spent on an accruals basis, by HMCTS on suppliers of interpretation and translation services, on an accruals basis, for the financial years 2015-16 to 2018-19. This list is limited to suppliers with whom HMCTS has spent £25,000 or more in total over the last four years. The amount that HMCTS spent with a further 783 smaller suppliers have been aggregated together.Supplier2015-162016-172017-182018-19BOSTICO INTERNATIONAL LTD6,294.5817,767.2049,605.6335,982.08CAPITA TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES6,563,283.654,270,630.7600CLARION INTERPRETING LTD35,907.17349,568.23300,307.47394,394.39COMMUNICOURT LTD9,306.7344,376.9857,174.9921,708.37CYMEN CYFYNGEDIG67,316.0065,413.8578,203.2058,382.18FLEX LANGUAGE SERVICES LTD49.066,662.4920,128.5919,650.47GLOBAL LANGUAGE SERVICES LTD2,217.7824,683.7910,290.8931,216.58LANGUAGE LINK PLUS LTD6,562.394,482.459,181.6832,905.71LOMER TRANSLATIONS & INTERPRETING LTD033,539.00130,663.10(1,926.91)LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM020,938.9783,925.250R LALLAH16,885.907,018.501,474.50411.40ONE STOP LANGUAGE SERVICES LTD187,747.93351,639.63471,520.64425,282.12TERPTREE LTD16,332.0013,304.0030,696.0034,788.00THE LANGUAGE SHOP - LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM00139,399.80254,092.87THEBIGWORD INTERPRETING SERVICES LTD04,130,721.969,683,913.698,565,658.58TRANSLATE UK LTD58,534.6352,499.10176,306.19415,314.41TRIANGLE SERVICES LTD012,491.9530,330.649,588.08UK LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS LTD13,628.9549,926.6522,730.04106,362.65UK TRANSLATION SERVICES LTD00043,769.10WESSEX TRANSLATIONS LTD4,820.852,285.2317,470.3326,843.62783 other smaller suppliers123,061.68225,843.59174,397.05526,267.06

Bristol Prison

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with HMP Bristol in Horfield on the potential implications for that prison of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Lucy Frazer: The department is working closely and meets regularly with HMPPS to consider any impact on prisons in the event of a No Deal Brexit. Preparations include ensuring that our food and retail contracts have alternative arrangements in case of disruption through ports; working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure that the supply of health products to prisoners is not disrupted; and co-operating with other government departments to prepare for other contingencies.

Prison Accommodation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the prison population was on 30 June in each year since 1997; and how many of those prisoners were in (a) public and (b) private prisons.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes monthly individual prison population and capacity information through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statistics The table below sets out the prison population as at 30th June in each year since 1997 and identifies how many of these prisoners were held in public and private sector prisons and Young Offender Institutions. DateNumber of prisoners held in privately managed prisons & YOIsNumber of prisoners held in public sector prisons & YOIsTotal Prison Population30/06/19971735590116074630/06/19984170611606533030/06/19994475597456422030/06/20005600595426514230/06/20016465602136667830/06/20027602635307113230/06/20037956654887344430/06/20047179669687414730/06/20057708680887579630/06/20068443691477759030/06/20079004703107931430/06/20089489732578274630/06/20099391735548294530/06/20109841747348457530/06/201110299744428474130/06/201213674716448531830/06/201314394686168301030/06/201415246693618460730/06/201515905690518495630/06/201615949683638431230/06/201716818682298504730/06/201816252661958244730/06/2019160776637882455 The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Our £2.5 billion long-term building programme will provide 10,000 additional prison places - reducing overcrowding and creating a prison estate that is fit for the future. Modern, efficient jails provide us with the stability needed to rehabilitate offenders, preventing future victims and keeping the public safe.

Prison Accommodation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places defined as in-use certified normal accommodation there were on 30 June of each year since 2010; and how many of those places were in (a) public and (b) private prisons.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes monthly individual prison population and capacity information through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statistics The table below identifies the in-use certified normal accommodation (CNA) on the 30 June in each year since 2010 and how many of these places were provided in public and private prisons. YearCNA in privately managed prisonsCNA in public sector prisonsTotal in-use CNA25/06/20108,40668,61777,02324/06/20118,80567,94276,74729/06/201212,18866,39478,58228/06/201313,46463,36276,82627/06/201413,14461,91075,05426/06/201513,86461,99375,85724/06/201614,09461,76375,85730/06/201714,14860,91675,06429/06/201813,99661,47175,46728/06/201913,79860,91574,713  CNA, or uncrowded capacity, is the Prison Service’s own measure of accommodation. CNA represents the good, decent standard of accommodation that the Service aspires to provide all prisoners. Where the operational capacity of a prison is higher than the CNA, prisoners may be held in ‘crowded’ conditions, with more prisoners accommodated in individual cells than they were designed for. In the financial year 2018/19, 22.5% of the prison population was being held in crowded conditions, down from 24.2% in the previous year.

Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has plans to increase the number of prison officers above the levels as outlined in HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2019; and what his Department's target is for the number of prison officers to be in post by 30 June 2020.

Lucy Frazer: Our hard-working officers play a crucial role in keeping prisons safe and transforming offenders’ lives, and ultimately make sure the public is protected. We have recruited more than 4,700 additional prison officers since October 2016 and staffing levels are now at their highest since 2012. We will continue to recruit officers to ensure safe and decent prisons.

Ministry of Justice: Departmental Expenditure Limits

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of his Departments capital expenditure limit has been switched to resource expenditure limit in each year since 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: The table below shows the proportion of the ministry’s capital funding which was switched to resource funding, as agreed with HM Treasury at the Supplementary Estimate in each year from 2015/16 to 2018/19. Capital DEL £m2015-162016-172017-182018-19Capital DEL1279459425517Amount switched to Resource DEL450235150% switched to Resource DEL216%0%55%29%1 Reflects capital DEL settlement (net of the CDEL switch and other movements) at the Supplementary Estimate in each year.2 Shown as a percentage of the capital DEL settlement at the Supplementary Estimate in each year.

Department for International Trade

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2019 to Question 280324 on Arms Trade: Trade Fairs, what engagement by Government Ministers will be provided to the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 arms fair.

Graham Stuart: It is expected that Ministers from MOD, DIT and BEIS will attend Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 (DSEI). Last minute diary changes may supersede any arrangements made. Details of the Ministers who attended will be available after 13 September 2019.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reasons she invited a delegation from Hong Kong to the Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair; and if she will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The reason any country is invited to the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition is because it brings together manufacturers of defence and security equipment and prospective purchasers. It provides an opportunity for UK industry to demonstrate the wide range of products to potential overseas customers. Hong Kong has recently confirmed that it is not attending.

Export Controls

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many export licence requests have been received by her Department from businesses in (a) the UK, (b) the North East and (c) Wansbeck constituency in 2019.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many export licence requests have been granted by her Department to businesses in (a) the UK, (b) the North East and (c) Wansbeck constituency in 2019.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how long on average it takes from receipt of an export licence request to that licence being processed.

Graham Stuart: Licensing data is published as Official Statistics on GOV.UK. It covers only licensing information for the whole of the UK. Regional and constituency data can only be provided at disproportionate cost.Currently only information from Q1 2019 (1 January to 31 March 2019) has been published; this shows 3,343 export licence applications were received and 3,298 export licences were issued.The department’s performance targets are for 70% of applications for Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) to be responded to within 20 working days, and 99% within 60 working days. The targets apply as soon as the applicant has supplied the full documentation necessary to support their application. The median processing time for SIELs in Q1 2019 was 11 working days. Data covering the period 1 April 2019 to 30 June 2019 will be published on 15 October 2019.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Council Tax: Discounts

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people claimed the severe mental impairment council tax discount in (a) 2018, (b) 2017, (c) 2016, (d) 2015 and (e) 2014.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people with dementia claimed the severe mental impairment council tax discount in (a) 2018, (b) 2017, (c) 2016, (d) 2015 and (e) 2014.

Luke Hall: We do not collect information on the number of people claiming discounts. However, the number of dwellings benefiting from council tax exemptions under Class U (‘persons with a severe mental impairment’) between 2009 to 2018 are set out in table 5 of the publication: ‘Council Taxbase in England’.   This can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758952/Table_5_2018_rev.xlsx   The number of people with dementia claiming the exemption is not available since the information collected is not broken down by impairment.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will provide the same level of funding as that currently provided by EU Structural Funds when the UK leaves the EU.

Jake Berry: The Government recognises the importance of providing certainty and clarity on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. There are many detailed design questions to come, on which we welcome input from across the UK.It is only right that we take final decisions about the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund after a cross-government Spending Review.

Children: Day Care

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the application of business rates to domestic childcare settings on those childcare providers.

Luke Hall: Businesses which use a small part of a home for their trade will not usually have to pay business rates. However, the Valuation Office Agency is responsible for determining whether premises are rateable and, in the case of childcare providers, might consider factors such as the extent to which the home has been modified and whether the part of the property used is still suitable for domestic occupation. The Government has doubled the threshold for small business rate relief, meaning that 675,000 businesses with rateable values under £12,000 now pay no business rates at all.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Public Consultation

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Government will publish the consultation on the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Jake Berry: As the Prime Minister announced on 27 July, the Government will bring forward plans on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We will consult on the design of the fund and welcome input for across the UK.

Local Plans

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have not adopted a Local Plan.

Esther McVey: As of 31 August 2019, 37 local authorities have not adopted a Local Plan under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Details of these local authorities are provided in Tables 1-3 below:Table 1 – Local authorities that have submitted their draft plan for examination but are yet to adopt.Local AuthoritiesAylesbury ValeBasildonBolsoverBroxbourneCalderdaleCentral BedfordshireCravenDurhamEastleighEpping ForestHarlowHartLiverpoolMansfieldNorth East DerbyshireNorth HertfordshireNorthumberlandOld Oak and Park Royal DCRunnymedeSt AlbansSunderlandTendringThanetUttlesfordWelwyn HatfieldWindsor and MaidenheadYork Table 2 – Local authorities that have published a draft plan but have yet to submit for examination.Local AuthoritiesBrentwoodIsles of Scilly Table 3 – Local authorities that still need to publish their draft plan.Local AuthoritiesAmber ValleyAshfieldBuryCastle PointMedwaySalfordTamesideWirral

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the leader of Lancashire County Council on the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Luke Hall: We have stepped up our preparedness significantly and are speaking regularly to councils and partners, including through a delivery board and a network of nine regional lead chief executives. Every council has designated a Brexit Lead Officer to work with central government to intensify their local preparations and, in total, we have made £77 million available to help local areas get ready for Brexit.

Hate Crime: Sikhs

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 277247 on Hate Crime: Sikhs, what funding the Government has allocated to help increase the reporting of hate crimes by the Sikh community in each of the last five years.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Antisemitism

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding has been allocated to help increase the reporting of hate crimes by the Jewish community in each of the last five years.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hate Crime: Muslims

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding has been allocated to help increase the reporting of hate crimes by the Muslim community in each of the last five years.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council on preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Luke Hall: We have stepped up our preparedness significantly and are speaking regularly to councils and partners, including through a delivery board and a network of nine regional lead chief executives. Every council has designated a Brexit Lead Officer to work with central government to intensify their local preparations and, in total, we have made £77 million available to help local areas get ready for Brexit.

Private Rented Housing: Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to include deposits of lodgers in deposit insurance schemes.

Esther McVey: The requirement to hold a deposit in a recognised tenancy deposit scheme is restricted to landlords who let on assured shorthold tenancies. Most lodgers do not hold assured shorthold tenancies, but should they do so, their deposits would be covered by a recognised tenancy deposit scheme. The Government has no plans to extend the scope of tenancy deposit schemes.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what meetings her Department has had with Wirral Council to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Luke Hall: We have stepped up our preparedness significantly and are speaking regularly to councils and partners, including through a delivery board and a network of nine regional lead chief executives. Every council has designated a Brexit Lead Officer to work with central government to intensify their local preparations and, in total, we have made £77 million available to help local areas get ready for Brexit.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Expenditure

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row A of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Service Personnel Costs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row B of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Civilian Personnel Costs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row C of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Infrastructure Costs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row D of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Inventory Consumption.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row E of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Equipment Support Costs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row F of the table entitled Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Other Costs and Services.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row G of the table entitled Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Receipts and other Income.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row H of the table entitled Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Depreciation and Impairments Costs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row I of the table entitled Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Cash Release of Provisions Costs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row J of the table entitled Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 46 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Provision of Defence Capability Capital Single Use Military Equipment.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: It has not been possible to answer the hon. Member's questions in the time available. I will write to the hon. Member by 17 September 2019.

Army

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made any assessment of whether the founding of the 6th Division will affect the current operations of the 77th brigade.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what new funding has been allocated to the 6th Division.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the 6th Division will include reservists.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the establishment of the 6th Division will result in servicemen and servicewomen being recruited from 77th brigade.

Mark Lancaster: The formation of 6th (UK) Division brings together five existing Army brigades, including 77th Brigade. The Division will enhance the Army's ability to conduct intelligence, counter-intelligence and information operations as well as respond to electronic, cyber and unconventional warfare threats. The brigades involved include reserve units which will play a full part in 6th Division activity. No new funding has been allocated as this is a rebalancing of existing units not the creation of new ones.

Harland and Wolff: Insolvency

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government took into account Harland and Wolff's involvement in two bids for the Type 31a Frigate contract when taking the decision to refuse to offer temporary support to the shipyard prior to that company entering into administration.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The T31 frigate competition is ongoing and therefore due to commercial and legal sensitivities I cannot comment.

Aircraft Carriers: Shipbuilding

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Harland and Wolff having entered into administration, which UK shipyards have the infrastructure to facilitate the repair and retrofitting of the UK's two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Routine scheduled repair and refitting of the two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, other than dry-docking, will be undertaken at Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth.The following dry-dock facilities in the UK are of a sufficient size to accommodate the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers:Able UK, Seaton Port, Teeside; Babcock, Rosyth; Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; Cammell Laird, Greenock (Inchgreen); Harland and Wolff, Belfast.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Tankers

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of refitting and retrofitting the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s four Tide-Class tankers.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Both RFA TIDESPRING and TIDERACE are currently undertaking their first refit periods. Until these refits have completed, it is not possible to provide the final cost figure.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2019 to Question 280324 on Arms Trade: Trade Fairs, what military assets the Government will provide to the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 arms fair.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Various Ministry of Defence assets will be on display during the Defence Security Equipment International exhibition including a number of Navy vessels alongside the quayside and static displays of helicopters, fast jets and vehicles.

Type 31 Frigates: Procurement

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for a decision to be made on the successful bidder to fulfil the new Type 31e frigates order.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer he was given by my predecessor (Stuart Andrew MP) on 13 May 2019 to Question 251904.



251904 - Type 31 Frigates: Procurement
(Word Document, 28.53 KB)

Military aircaft

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the proposed takeover of Cobham plc by Advent International on the continuation and future of the major UK defence programmes (a) Air Tanker and (b) Tempest; and what alternatives will be available to those programmes in the event that Cobham plc ceases to contribute to them.

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preliminary assessment his Department has made of the implications for the UK's defence industrial strategy of the proposed acquisition of Cobham plc by a US-based private equity firm; what impact such a takeover will have on the availability to other countries of sensitive defence technology; what guarantees the Government will seek from the potential new proprietors in respect of such technologies remaining (a) based in, and (b) available to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of the principal (a) defence services and (b) items of defence equipment supplied by Cobham plc to the UK armed forces either directly or as component parts of services and goods supplied by other defence companies for (i) threat simulation services and equipment, (ii) air-to-air refuelling systems, (iii) weapons-release equipment and (iv) other categories of services and equipment; what steps he will take to ensure that future generations of those services and equipment will continue to be available to the UK armed forces in the event that Cobham plc ceases to bid for the long-term contracts required to develop and deliver them; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on calling-in the proposed takeover of Cobham plc to protect UK defence interests.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: While the proposed transaction for Cobham plc by Advent International is primarily a commercial matter for the parties concerned, we are closely monitoring the situation.Ministry Of Defence (MOD) officials have met both parties to understand their plans in relation to the proposed acquisition. Ministers can intervene in mergers on public interest grounds covering national security, financial stability or media plurality, with each merger considered on a case by case basis.The MOD provides advice in this process to the relevant Secretary of State, who has a quasi-judicial role in deciding whether to intervene in mergers. The Secretary of State must consider only the evidence relevant to the public interest grounds raised. This also means that it is not appropriate for the Government to provide commentary on whether public interest concerns arise in relation to a merger ahead of any decision on whether to intervene.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the planned Establishment of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and what is its current strength at all Ranks against its Establishment numbers.

Mark Lancaster: The table below shows the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's workforce requirement, by rank and rate, as at 1 April 2019.I am withholding the strength figures as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.   RANKREQUIREMENT  Commodore2Captain53Chief Officer87First Officer125Second Officer215Third Officer145Chief Petty Officer124Petty Officer207Leading Hand274Able Bodied Seaman*735Total1,967  *or equivalent  Note: These figures are from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's internal system and could differ from published figures.

Former Ministers: Redundancy Pay

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what severance payment the rt hon. Member for South Staffordshire received after he left his position as Secretary of State for Defence.

Mr Ben Wallace: Section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 sets out Ministers' entitlement to severance payments. Any such payments are published in each department's audited annual accounts, and these accounts can be found in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Account Index where the severance pay for the right hon. Member for South Staffordshire will be published in 2020. As detailed in Section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991:'the amount of the payment to which a person who has ceased to hold a relevant office is entitled under this section is an amount equal to one-quarter of the annual amount of the salary which was being paid to that person in respect of that office immediately before the material time.'

Armed Forces: Prosecutions

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library any analysis undertaken by his Department on the effect of proposals in Section 3 Civil litigation longstop of the consultation on Legal Protection for Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans in operations outside of the UK on (a) personnel who experience PTSD in excess of 10 years after their service; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to limit the time period from which injured servicemen and servicewomen can make compensation claims.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the proposals outlined in his Department's consultation document Legal Protections for Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans serving in operations outside the United Kingdom will result in varying the legal protections offered to civilians (a) killed and (b) injured while serving outside the UK to take action through the courts for compensation; and if she will make a statement.

Johnny Mercer: The consultation on Legal Protections for Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans will close on 13 October 2019. The Ministry of Defence will study carefully the responses on its proposals (on a statutory presumption against prosecutions arising from overseas incidents occurring more than 10 years previously; on a partial defence that takes account of the operational context; and on limiting the courts’ discretion to extend the three-year time limit for bringing civil claims for personal injury or death) before deciding how to take these measures forward. The proposed civil litigation longstop will not preclude Service personnel or civilians deployed on overseas operations from bringing claims in relation to PTSD or other conditions that manifest or are diagnosed more than 10 years after the incident which caused the condition, as section 11 of the Limitation Act calculates time limits from the later of (a) the date on which the cause of action accrued or (b) the date of knowledge.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) applications his Department has received and (b) payments his Department has made for injury compensation in the last nine years where the injury was sustained more than (i) five years and (ii) 10 years previously; and if he will make a statement.

Johnny Mercer: The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised information on injury dates relating to War Pension Scheme (WPS) claims on the War Pension Computer System (WPCS). To compile this information would incur disproportionate cost as paper claim files would have to be manually reviewed by Defence Business Services Veterans UK. There is no time limit on submitting a WPS claim.The response relating to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) has been compiled using data held on the Compensation and Pension System (CAPS). However, it has not been possible to separate injury and illness claims as they are not recorded separately on the CAPS and to compile this information for injury claims only would incur disproportionate cost through a review of paper files. The response therefore includes both injury and illness claims.The incident date as recorded on the CAPS has been used to determine claims registered five or ten years after the individual's injury was sustained or the onset of illness. It should be noted that the incident date information may not always be precise and the information provided is therefore an estimate. Claims under the AFCS can be made up to seven years from the date of the original injury/diagnosis.There were 10,767 injury/illness claims registered under the AFCS since 1 April 2010 where the injury/illness was recorded on the CAPS as having been sustained more than five years prior to the date the claim was registered. Of these, 5,193 were awarded compensation as at 31 March 2019. Those not awarded include claims pending a decision, rejected claims and claims assessed as not serious enough to attract a lump sum payment.There were 619 injury/illness claims registered under the AFCS since 1 April 2010 where the injury/illness was recorded on the CAPS as having been sustained more than ten years prior to the date the claim was registered. Of these, 123 were awarded compensation as at 31 March 2019. As above, those not awarded include claims pending a decision, rejected claims and claims assessed as but not serious enough to attract a lump sum payment.For common law negligence claims, records are not kept which allow the time between the date of injury and date of claim to be calculated. In addition, not all claims result from a single incident so dates cannot be assigned. The date of knowledge of the injury or illness caused by a potentially negligent act is often the significant factor.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document Legal protection for our Armed Forces Personnel and veteran serving in Operations outside of the United Kingdom, how many military personnel have benefitted from the discretion on enforcement of time limits to bring a claim as described in that document; and if he will make a statement.

Johnny Mercer: All claims received are considered on their individual merits and in line with the Department's legal liability. Part of this process is to take a view as to whether a claim falls outside the limitation period. Records are not kept of the number of claims in which the Courts have heard limitation cases in which the Claimant is seeking discretion in the application of the time limit relevant to their claim against the Department.The proposed civil litigation longstop will not preclude Service personnel or civilians deployed on overseas operations from bringing claims in relation to PTSD or other conditions that manifest or are diagnosed beyond that limit, as Section 11 of the Limitation Act calculates time limits from the later of (a) the date on which the cause of action accrued or (b) the date of knowledge.

Defence: Procurement

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government's policy is on the acquisition of major UK-based defence companies by overseas investors; what assessment he has made of the prospect of such companies being willing to (a) enter into, and (b) deliver long-term defence contracts after they have been taken over by private equity firms structured so as to make long-term ownership improbable; and whether undertakings in respect of the (i) pursuit and (ii) fulfilment of long-term defence contracts have or will be sought from Advent International its proposed acquisition of Cobham plc.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Changes of control within the defence sector are largely a matter for the companies concerned. Ministers can intervene in mergers on public interest grounds including for reasons of national security with each merger considered on a case by case basis. We can take action through private undertakings in the form of security deeds, or via statutory means under the Enterprise Act 2002.The MOD provides advice in this process to the relevant Secretary of State, who has a quasi-judicial role in deciding whether to intervene in mergers. The Secretary of State must consider only the evidence relevant to the public interest grounds raised. This also means that it is not appropriate for the Government to provide commentary on whether public interest concerns arise in relation to a merger ahead of any decision on whether to intervene.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Fraud

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 275665 on universal credit: fraud, what steps her Department is taking to close a loophole in the online application process which enables people to make an application and claim an advance using another person’s information.

Guy Opperman: The Department takes the prevention of fraud extremely seriously. Part of its strategy includes ensuring Universal Credit transactions are secure, including tackling loopholes fraudsters may seek to exploit, which sadly can target some of our most vulnerable claimants.It is, however, important to recognise that the vast majority of advances on Universal Credit are legitimate and ensure those in need of financial support get the help they need during their transition to Universal Credit.All claims where fraud may have been committed are investigated. We are committed to the use of penalties such as prosecutions and tough financial penalties, where appropriate, to discourage this fraudulent behaviour. The Department considers all cases on their own merits and decisions are made on the strength of the evidence provided.Additionally, we have a dedicated team of investigators to address this issue, and are working with Social Media sites to shut down posts which promote this fraud. The Department also operates a policy of explicit consent to help reduce the risk of fraud by ensuring that our claimants’ data is kept safe from unscrupulous organisations and individuals.The Department is also raising awareness of this issue through a campaign being run on social media to remind people of the importance of safeguarding their identity. We have also been working to further improve knowledge and awareness of advances fraud amongst Jobcentre and Service Centre staff and guidance has been issued to ensure that staff are aware how to refer cases of suspected fraud to the Department’s Counter-fraud team.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of benefits decisions in Doncaster have been appealed in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of benefits decisions have been appealed in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of benefits decisions have been appealed in each Government region in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on appeal outcomes in relation to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessments by several geographical areas is available on Stat-Xplore.https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html Information on the percentage of initial Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions that have been appealed, by region and for Great Britain, is shown in the table below.Table: Initial PIP decisions and appeals lodged by region, initial decisions in 2018-19  RegionAppeals lodgedInitial  decisions% of initial decisions appealed  East Midlands3,19054,2806%  East of England3,46061,0306%  London5,92087,4707%  North East3,22048,9207%  North West7,000109,1706%  Scotland5,88082,9807%  South East4,84080,4306%  South West3,76063,1506%  Wales2,82047,4906%  West Midlands4,56077,6806%  Yorkshire and The Humber4,74072,0507%  Great Britain 49,380  784,690 6%   For Doncaster Local Authority, 4,790 initial PIP decisions were made in 2018-19, of which 5% have been appealed.NotesData has been rounded to the nearest 10.Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percent.Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.Appeals data up to March 2019. Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to appeal.The Local Authority and Government Office Region geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode) rather than the location of where the tribunal was held.To provide the information requested across all other DWP administered benefits would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment and Support Allowance

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2019 to Question 273727, whether her Department consulted (a) advice agencies and (b) disability charities on the wording of the revised ESA65B letters to employment and support allowance claimants’ GPs before authorising the use of that letter from 3 June 2019 onwards.

Justin Tomlinson: We received comments from a number of sources, including the welfare benefits advice sector and disability charities, on the previous version of the ESA65B letter. We took this feedback into account when developing the revised letter.

Employment and Support Allowance

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2019 to Question 273727, whether her Department has written to the GPs of all those employment and support allowance claimants whom her Department sent an ESA65B letter between August 2017 and 3 June 2019 to correct the advice that they no longer need to provide fit notes for patients.

Justin Tomlinson: Prior to the revised ESA65B letter going live in June, GPs were reminded of all the circumstances in which fit notes may continue to be issued for those found fit for work. GPs were also sent a copy of the final version of the revised ESA65B. The standing guidance for all GPs, clearly setting out the circumstances in which fit notes should be issued, has been in place since 2013. The guidance has always been clear that no further fit notes will be required unless the patient wishes to appeal the decision, their patient’s condition significantly worsens or they develop a new disability or condition.

Personal Independence Payment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants over 65 have (a) been unsuccessful in their application for personal independence payment, (b) received benefit at a lower rate and (c) received benefit at a higher rate when transferring from disability living allowance.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the outcomes of Daily Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment claims broken down by whether the award was increased, unchanged (maintained), decreased, disallowed post referral to assessment, disallowed pre referral to assessment and withdrawn for claimants aged 65 or over at the point of decision. This data is from the introduction of PIP in April 2013 to October 2018, the most recent date for which data is available. Table: Outcome of DLA to PIP reassessment claims for claimants aged over 65 at the date of clearance. (April 2013 to October 2018). IncreasedUnchangedDecreasedDisallowed Post referralDisallowed Pre referralWithdrawnTotal85,34031,67058,32029,8805,9302,320213,460 Source: PIP Computer System claimant records, DLA Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study claimant data and Customer Information System data.

Personal Independence Payment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many adults born after 8 April 1948 are awaiting a decision in their application to transfer from disability living allowance to personal independence payment; and how many of those people are (a) aged 66 to 69 and (b) aged 70 or older.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department is currently investigating a discrepancy with data on registrations to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for the quarter ending April 2019. As a result, registrations data are only available up to 31st January 2019. We are therefore unable to release data on the number of claimants who have registered for PIP since 31st January 2019 and therefore the number of those claimants who have not yet had a decision.Registrations data are expected to be available in future releases when the issue has been resolved.

Personal Independence Payment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many adults born after 8 April 1948 are in receipt of disability living allowance and waiting to be invited to claim personal independence payment; and how many of those adults are aged (a) 66 to 69 and (b) 70 or older.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners claiming disability living allowance the Department has (a) invited and (b) still to invite to apply for personal independence payment; and by what date all pensioners claiming disability living allowance will have been invited to apply for personal independence payment.

Justin Tomlinson: The specific information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Mental Illness

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the appropriateness of requiring claimants with mental health conditions to attend face-to-face interviews as part of the social security benefits assessment process.

Justin Tomlinson: We recognise that attending a face-to-face assessment can be a stressful experience for some people, including for people who have a mental health condition. That is why we do not require people to attend face-to-face consultations where there is enough existing evidence to determine benefit entitlement.Furthermore, where a face-to-face consultation is required, we encourage claimants to bring another person with them where they would find this helpful, for example, reassure them or to help them during the consultation. The person chosen is at the discretion of the claimant and might be, but is not limited to, a parent, family member, friend, carer, or advocate.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278344, on Universal Credit: Fraud, over what period of time the 52 pages were shut down.

Guy Opperman: As a result of internal work within the Department and pre-work with social media companies to identify accounts and determine their fraudulent nature, the first Social Media account was closed on the 9th July. We continue to work with social media sites to ensure any pages promoting benefit fraud are closed and have closed down 71 sites to date.

Parents: Low Incomes

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a comparative assessment of the proportion of parents in low income families who are (a) out of work and (b) in part-time work (i) during the school summer holidays and (ii) at all other times in the school year.

Will Quince: National statistics on the proportion of parents in low income families who are (a) out of work or (b) in part time work are published annually in the “Households Before Average Income” publication. These statistics are not possible to break down by distinct periods of the year. The statistics can be found using the link below, with the statistics for relative low income found in table 5.5ts, and the statistics for absolute low income found in table 5.8ts, both in the file “workingage-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables”. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/792784/hbai-2017-2018-tables-ods-files.zip

Food Supply

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to protect people on benefits or low incomes who would be most vulnerable to rising food prices or food supply disruption in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government's priority remains securing a deal to leave the EU. We have more people in work than ever before, with wages continuing to grow. However, as a responsible government we have plans in place for a range of scenarios. The welfare system provides a strong safety net. A system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans will be available for eligible claimants who need them. For new claimants applying for Universal Credit (UC), new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due. We have increased work allowance rates by £1,000 in April 2019 and they will be uprated in line with inflation in the future. This measure provides additional support in a package announced in Autumn Budget 2018, worth £1.7 billion by 2023/24, to some of the most vulnerable low paid working households.

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of recording all calls from benefits claimants to ensure that complaints can be followed up.

Will Quince: The Department acknowledges the merit and does record inbound calls to DWP’s helplines in order to make improvements to service and follow-up on any complaints received.

Pensioners: Personal Independence Payment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants over 65 at the date of their application have been refused personal independence payment at (a) mandatory reconsideration stage and (b) appeal stage when transferring from disability living allowance.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the outcomes of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment claims, and the outcome of Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for initial disallowance decisions, for claimants aged 65 or over at the point of claim registration. Table: DLA to PIP reassessment decisions, MR and appeals, for claimants aged 65 or over at the point of claim registrationInitial decisions - April 2013 to January 2019 Initial decision Awarded172,900Disallowed36,290Withdrawn3,140  Of those disallowed at the initial decision Decision not changed at MR16,290Decision not changed at appeal1,830 NotesInitial decisions are up to January 2019, whilst MR and appeals data is up to March 2019.Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.Disallowances include those pre-referral to the assessment providers (AP) that have been disallowed due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support, as well as those post-referral to the AP that have been disallowed following the assessment due to the claimant not scoring enough points at the assessment to be awarded the benefit, or the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason.The number of people who did not have a decision changed at appeal are included in the number of people who did not have a decision changed at MR – therefore these two figures cannot be added together.Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to MR or appeal.

Welfare Assistance Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which local authorities in (a) Yorkshire and (b) Humberside have local welfare assistance schemes in place.

Will Quince: We do not hold information on delivery of local welfare assistance schemes. The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. We passed funding over to them (from April 2013) on a non ring-fenced basis with no statutory duties or monitoring requirements attached, giving maximum flexibility to deliver services as they see fit according to local needs.

Social Security Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tailor medical assessments for benefits to take account of the needs of ME sufferers.

Justin Tomlinson: Both the assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) are functional assessments designed to respectively contribute towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition or disability, and to assess an individual’s capability to work. Both benefits are based on the impact of a person’s disability or health condition, not on the condition itself. This is important, as we recognise that the same condition can affect different people in different ways. Assessors are provided with training and guidance in the full range of health conditions, including ME. For instance, all WCA assessors have access to a learning module on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/ME, that is externally quality assured by an expert clinician. Furthermore, the PIP providers have recently been involved in a programme of engagement with CFS/ME stakeholders, and have developed a comprehensive suite of training products on CFS/ME.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her evidence of  24 July 2019 to the Work and Pensions Committee on increased support with upfront childcare costs, whether work coaches use the Flexible Support Fund to provide that additional support after the first month.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral evidence of 24 July 2019 to the Work and Pensions Committee on increased support with upfront childcare costs on Wednesday 24 July, whether work coaches will be given greater flexibility to use the Flexible Support Fund.

Mims Davies: Work Coaches can use the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) to pay 100% of the upfront childcare costs up to the payment limits set that the claimant incurs between starting work and receiving their first wage. This is paid directly to the childcare providers and is not repayable. Examples of what it can be used to cover include: Deposit – To pay a provider a one off advance payment of childcare costs.Retainer – To pay a provider a one off advance payment to secure the nursery provision prior to the parent starting work or training.Fees – To pay a provider upfront childcare fees in advance of the service being delivered; andTaster/Settling in periods – To pay a provider a one off advance payment to enable the parent to prepare their child before taking up the full childcare offer. Once a claimant has received their first wage, we have given Work Coaches the flexibility to use Budgeting Advances to help pay for further upfront childcare costs where required and where a claimant is eligible. This includes - during school holidays, change of childcare provider, or additional childcare in order to increase work hours. Budgeting Advances do have to be repaid, however, up to 85% of these childcare costs can be reimbursed through the UC childcare offer (up to caps) once a paid receipt is submitted.

Habitual Residence Test: EEA Nationals

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK EEA citizens successfully appealed a failure of the habitual residency test between November 2017 and November 2018.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she made of the effectiveness of the habitual residency test for EEA nationals applying for universal credit.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the habitual residency test in accurately assessing the eligibility of EEA nationals to receive universal credit.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the reasons for EEA nationals failing the habitual residency test when applying for universal credit.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to review the use of the habitual residency test for EEA nationals applying for universal credit.

Justin Tomlinson: Eligibility for Universal Credit depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. In line with EU law, EEA nationals must be exercising a legal right to reside, such as worker or self-employed status, and be habitually resident in the UK to be eligible for income-related benefits. EEA nationals may now apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to protect their entitlement to access UK benefits and public services. The Department is committed to monitoring its policies, regularly reviewing and analysing the relevant data. Information on HRT appeals is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many enforcement actions the HMRC and Child Maintenance Group liaison group has conducted since January 2017.

Mims Davies: The Department is currently working with HMRC to identify opportunities for closer working on a range of enforcement activities, as part of the implementation of the DWP’s child maintenance compliance and arrears strategy.Alongside this work the Department’s Financial Investigations Unit continues to conduct investigations into child maintenance matters. Between January and March 2019 the CMS’s Financial Investigations Unit launched 530 complex earnings investigations and 20 criminal investigations.

Universal Credit: Appeals

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times her Department has requested that HM Courts and Tribunals Service provide an extension to a deadline for a universal credit appeal in the last six months.

Will Quince: The Department does not collect information on the number of extensions to a deadline requested to HM Courts and Tribunals Service for Universal Credit appeals.

Pension Credit

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase the take-up of pensions credit by people who are entitled to claim it; and if she will make a statement.

Guy Opperman: It is important to highlight that there are over 1.6 million people already claiming some £5.4 billion in Pension Credit but the Government wants to ensure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled.On a national basis the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers; including information on https://gov.uk/, in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.Potential customers can use the Pension Credit https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling the Freephone number 0800 99 1234.One of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholder working in the community and we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkitThe toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.Most recently we have provided to relevant stakeholders a fact sheet about Pension Credit and the changes introduced on 15 May for mixed age couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that state pensions for UK citizens living overseas increase at the same rate as pensions for pensioners who remain in the UK.

Guy Opperman: The UK State Pension is payable worldwide. It is up-rated for overseas residents where there is a legal requirement to do so and it is up-rated abroad at the same rate as in the UK.

Universal Credit: Appeals

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is for her Department to respond to universal credit appeals.

Will Quince: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's timescale is for notifying all parents who may be eligible to receive historical Child Support Agency arrears.

Mims Davies: The Child Maintenance Service began writing to parents with historic CSA arrears in December 2018. We anticipate that we will have written to all eligible parents by August 2020.The notice provides the parent with care an opportunity to make representation within 60 days if they want a last attempt made to collect their historic CSA arrears.

Working Links

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions officials of her Department have had with their counterparts in the Ministry of Justice on the correspondence entitled Working Links: Ministerial direction confirmation letter from the Secretary of State for Justice, published on 8 May 2019; and if she will introduce similar financial protections for permitted subcontractors as set out in that correspondence to her Department’s Working Links subcontractors.

Will Quince: DWP Commercial have had discussions with MOJ colleagues to clarify the MOJ Ministerial direction correspondence published on 8 May 2019.The MOJ are making payments to a small number of Permitted Sub Contractors on the basis of a) the unique nature of their services (statutory services) and b) the structure of their current market in the context of the transformation announced on 16 May 2019.The Department considered the impact on stakeholders and sub-contractors, based on the Administrator’s statement of affairs at the point of Working Links going into administration, and has worked with both the Administrator and Fedcap, who have taken over a number of Working Links contracts, to minimise the impact on those supply chain partners owed monies by Working Links at the point of administration.

Work Capability Assessment

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have died in the last 12 months after having been assessed by her Department as fit for work.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have received (a) multiple and (b) no assessments from her Department in the last two years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested on multiple or no assessments is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Health Assessment Advisory Service

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether employees of the Health Assessment Advisory Service receive a monetary bonus for each claimant they find fit for work.

Justin Tomlinson: Assessment Providers do not decide the outcome of a claim to benefit. They provide a report to the department’s decision makers who then determine entitlement to benefit. Employees of the Health Assessment Advisory Service do not have incentives or targets linked to the outcome of benefit entitlement decisions.

Work Capability Assessment

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons her Department took the decision to undertake an internal review into the handling of the case of Stephen Smith in private after his death having been found by her Department as fit for work.

Justin Tomlinson: Internal Process Reviews (IPR) were established as an internal continuous improvement tool and take place when it is considered that objective scrutiny would be beneficial. Its purpose is to examine DWP processes and how they were followed. If appropriate they can also identify recommendations for changes. IPRs contain sensitive personal information and are not suitable for disclosure in the public domain.

Department for Work and Pensions: Arms Length Bodies

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row D of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Executive Arm’s Length Bodies (Net).

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row G of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Other Programmes.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row K of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Expenditure incurred by the Social Fund.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row A of the Capital DEL table on page 12 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Operational Delivery in 2018-19.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row D of the Capital DEL table on page 12 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Executive Arm’s Length Bodies.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row K of the Capital DEL table on page 12 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Expenditure incurred by the Social Fund.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 5 on Resource AME spending on page 12 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Other items.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 13 on ring-fenced funding on page 21 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure in 2018-19 under Supporting the Self Employed.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 13 on ring-fenced funding on page 21 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under EU Exit Allocation.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 13 on ring-fenced funding on page 21 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure in 2018-19 under Financial transactions.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row A of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Operational Delivery.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row B of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Health and Safety Executive (Net).

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row C of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under European Social Fund.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row E of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Employment Programmes.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row F of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Support for Local Authorities.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row H of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Other Benefits.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row I of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Departmental operating costs.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row J of the Resource DEL table on page 11 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under National Insurance Fund.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row B of the Capital DEL table on page 12 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Health and Safety Executive in 2018-19.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to row I of the Capital DEL table on page 12 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Departmental operating costs.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 13 on ring-fenced funding on page 21 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a regional breakdown of budgeted expenditure in 2018-19 under Depreciation.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 13 on ring-fenced funding on page 21 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a regional breakdown of budgeted expenditure in 2018-19 under the Work and Health programme.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 13 on ring-fenced funding on page 21 of the DWP Main Estimate 2019-20 Select Committee Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure in 2018-19 under Supporting the Self Employed.

Mims Davies: Estimates are published by HMT. DWP has no plans to publish an additional breakdown of the Main Estimate. There is some additional data, detailed below, already available in the public domain that may assist. The DWP Annual Report and Accounts for 2018-19 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812722/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-2019.pdf provide a description of each DEL Estimate line on page 146 and pages 156 -159 detail more information around our 2019-20 funding although not specifically by each line in the Main Estimate. Additionally, within the published Main Estimate Section D, Executive Arm’s Length Bodies (Net), is broken down in Part III Note E (page 156 of the published Main Estimate). Note E therefore provides a further break down of row D of the Resource DEL table and the Capital DEL table.

Universal Credit: Housing

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people under 21 years old have claimed housing support entitlement as part of universal credit since the ending of means testing for that component in March 2018.

Will Quince: The housing costs element, in line with all other elements in Universal Credit, has always been subject to means testing for all Universal Credit claimants.Numbers of people under 21 years claiming housing support entitlement as part of Universal Credit since March 2018 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants initially refused employment support allowance have subsequently been awarded that allowance under regulation 29 or regulation 35 at (a) the mandatory reconsideration stage and (b) following an appeal hearing in each of the last four years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the process is for ensuring that the outcomes of appeals against the refusal of (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payments are reported to those who made the original decision.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP has processes in place to feedback to original decision makers where a decision is changed at Appeal, this includes feedback from Presenting Officers who have been in attendance at the Appeal.This is fed back to the relevant decision makers and line managers through a structured mechanism that is used to advise appropriate conversations and quality actions.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress her Department has made on the evaluation of the video recording pilot for personal independence payment assessments.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department is evaluating the findings from the video recording pilot and we will provide an update on our future plans once this has been completed.

Universal Credit

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of reduced allowances for universal credit claimants who are under 25 years old on the financial wellbeing of those claimants.

Will Quince: The lower standard allowance rates for Universal Credit claimants who are under the age of 25 years reflects that they are more likely to live in someone else's household, have lower living costs, and have lower earnings expectations. It also reinforces the stronger work incentives that Universal Credit creates for this age group. Qualifying claimants can also receive separate elements to provide support for housing costs, children and childcare costs and support for disabled people and carers. People claiming Universal Credit move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings. It provides more financial help with childcare costs (eligible claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70% on the legacy system), a dedicated Work Coach, and removes the 16-hour ‘cliff edge’ for those who are working.

Universal Credit: Support for Mortgage Interest

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the restriction on earned income for eligibility for support for mortgage interest under universal credit on the incentive to work.

Will Quince: The earned income rule for help with mortgage interest on Universal Credit ensures that owner occupier claimants have the right incentives to move into work and increase their hours of work over time where possible.Universal Credit’s income taper, along with work allowances for qualifying claimants, ensure a strong work incentive is maintained. For certain owner occupiers, the withdrawal of support for mortgage interest means they qualify for the higher work allowance, and so they could earn up to £503 before there is any effect on their Universal Credit award.My Department has made no formal assessment of the effect of the rule on work incentives.

Universal Credit

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of universal credit were (a) employed and (b) unemployed as at 15 August 2019.

Will Quince: The latest available information as at July 2019 on the number of people on Universal Credit by Employment Indicator is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit: Appeals

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to lodge an appeal against the High Court decision by Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Lewis in relation to her Department wrongly interpreting universal credit regulations for assessment of pay cycles.

Will Quince: The Court judgment affects a small number of people on Universal Credit, with specific characteristics. The Department is currently appealing this judgment, and as such will await the outcome of that process before taking any further action. The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.

Children: Maintenance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2019 to Question 267247 on Children: Maintenance, what assessment she has made of the effect on inequality in the constituent parts of the UK of calculating child maintenance liabilities using gross income.

Mims Davies: An assessment into the effect of the child maintenance calculation on inequality in different constituencies in the UK has not been conducted. Child maintenance is calculated as a percentage of a non-resident parent’s income, according to a formula that is intended to ensure that maintenance is affordable and adapts to changes in living costs over time.

Universal Credit: Housing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce details of the calculation of (a)  housing costs, (b) LHA limits, (c) spare bedroom deductions and (d) non-dependent contributions in Universal Credit Full Service payment statements.

Will Quince: The Department is expecting to include the information mentioned in the Universal Credit statement by this Autumn. We will also include shared accommodation rates and rent free weeks when appropriate.

Universal Credit

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the length of time taken to respond to journal messages submitted by claimants of universal credit.

Will Quince: Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven days a week, digital service that allows claimants to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. Via their account, claimants can check their Universal Credit benefit payments through their account, notify us of changes and record notes on the online journal facility.The journal is primarily used to support work search activity and as such not every journal entry will require a response.The Case Manager or Work Coach receives a notification in real time each time a claimant submits an entry to their online journal. Journal entries are monitored daily as part of our case management approach.

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on registration of the child maintenance debt of a non-resident parent with credit rating agencies.

Mims Davies: Where a liability order has been granted for the purposes of pursuing child maintenance arrears, the paying parent is given a 21 day warning period in order to respond and agree to pay.If the warning period passes and no payment has been received from the paying parent or a payment agreement has not been made, then registration with a Credit Reference Agency will be considered. The decision is discretionary and intended to act as a deterrent to those parents who may otherwise choose to evade paying their maintenance.The number of liability orders granted is reported in our published statistics and can be on found table 11 of the tables document in the attached link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-march-2019-experimental

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many incidences of child maintenance debt of a non-resident parent were registered with a credit rating agency in the last 12 months.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason deduction of earnings requests are submitted by the Child Maintenance Service to collect child maintenance.

Mims Davies: The Child Maintenance Service makes Deduction from Earnings Requests (DER) to enforce arrears from non-resident parents in the Armed Forces. A DER works in a similar way to a Deduction from Earnings Order in that if it is agreed to, regular deductions will be made from the non-resident parent’s wages and passed on to the Child Maintenance Group (CMG). The CMG has a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Defence that supports the operation of deductions from earnings.

Post Office Card Account

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the end on the Post Office Card Account on vulnerable people that use that service.

Guy Opperman: The Department’s contract with Post Office Limited for the Post Office Card Account is due to end in 2021.For vulnerable customers who are unable to open or operate a standard account, the Department will implement a replacement payment service.Customer insight has influenced business requirements for the new service which outline the positive outcomes that must be achieved to ensure that the payment needs of individuals who are in a vulnerable situation are met. This includes the ability to obtain cash payments from a network of payment outlets in their local area (including suburban and rural locations).

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been awarded employment support allowance under (a) regulation 29 and (b) regulation 35 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations in each of the past four years.

Justin Tomlinson: Statistics on the number of people that have been awarded Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) following a Work Capability Assessment by ESA group allocation and reasons can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml Guidance for users is available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Meat: Imports

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) proportion, (b) value and (c) volume of (i) lamb, (ii) beef, (iii) pork and (iv) chicken consumed in the UK is imported (A) from the EU and (B) from the rest of the world.

George Eustice: According to analysis of HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics and Defra agricultural statistics, in 2018: UK lamb consumption - (A) imported from the EU = (a) 7%, (b) £53m, (c) 21 thousand tonnes and (B) imported from the rest of the world = (a) 26%, (b) £320m, (c) 76 thousand tonnes. UK beef consumption - (A) imported from the EU = (a) 30%, (b) £1.1bn, (c) 343 thousand tonnes and (B) imported from the rest of the world = (a) 2%, (b) £94m, (c) 22 thousand tonnes. UK pork consumption - (A) imported from the EU = (a) 55%, (b) £849m, (c) 792 thousand tonnes and (B) imported from the rest of the world = (a) 0.1%, (b) £3m, (c) 1 thousand tonnes. UK poultry consumption - (A) imported from the EU = (a) 25%, (b) £1.2bn, (c) 548 thousand tonnes and (B) imported from the rest of the world = (a) 2%, (b) £61m, (c) 36 thousand tonnes.

Veterinary Medicine: Drugs

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what parts of the Government’s plan for registration of veterinary medicines in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what parts of the Government’s plan for regulation of veterinary medicines in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

George Eustice: When the UK leaves the EU, the UK will no longer be part of the EU regulatory framework for veterinary medicines. The UK Government, through the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), will take on those functions which are currently carried out for the UK by the EU. In order to prepare for the regulation and registration of veterinary medicines in a no deal Brexit parliament has approved no deal statutory instruments, which will enable the continued regulation of veterinary medicines.

Sri Lanka: Recycling

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent the export of (a) hazardous and (b) medical UK waste to Sri Lanka as recycling.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: It is prohibited to export hazardous waste from the UK to countries, such as Sri Lanka, which are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The export of non-hazardous healthcare wastes for recycling to countries outside the OECD is permissible when following a prior written notification and consent procedure, and would require the consent of the competent authorities in the countries of import and export prior to shipment. No such consent has been issued in respect of exports of healthcare wastes to Sri Lanka. The UK environmental regulators take a proactive, intelligence led approach to checking compliance with the legislation, targeting exports which pose a high risk and intervening to stop illegal exports. In 2017/18, the Environment Agency issued 158 stop notices, prohibiting the export of unsuitable waste. It stopped 367 containers of waste destined for illegal export at ports and intervened further upstream to prevent 8,974 tonnes of waste from reaching our ports. Any UK operators found to be illegally exporting waste can be fined and/or imprisoned for up to two years.

Food Supply

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish his Department's guidance issued to (a) Resilience Forums, (b) local authorities (c) other bodies with responsibilities to prepare for crises under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and (d) representatives from the agriculture industry on the worst-case scenario in relation to food preparations in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

George Eustice: Specific guidance for the food and drink sector is available at www.gov.uk//defra/brexit-food-drink-sector.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to reduce the complexity of environmental schemes for land holders.

George Eustice: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) took on responsibility for Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardship schemes in October 2018, and has introduced a number of measures on agri-environment schemes to make it easier for farmers and land managers to apply and make it simpler for them to administer. The RPA has made improvements to the online service, including making more offers available to apply for online and allowing applicants to download application packs. It has simplified both the rules regarding the evidence we require and the guidance manuals. In addition the RPA has made changes to the processing cycle which has reduced completion times for applications, agreements, claims and payments. Looking forward we are considering ways to drive further online uptake, make improvements to the information on GOV.UK, and whether there are further simplifications we can make to the scheme to support the transition to a new Environmental Land Management Scheme, subject to exit negotiations and funding.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Joint Air Quality Unit vehicle checking software will be ready by February 2020.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Yes.

Eggs: Imports

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that imported liquid and powdered egg products are compliant with UK food standards after the UK leaves the EU.

Zac Goldsmith: Our high animal welfare, environmental and biosecurity standards are of critical importance to the UK and we are committed to ensuring those standards are maintained when we leave the EU. We have been clear that we will not water down our standards in pursuit of trade deals. As a member of the EU we share standards of biosecurity with other Member States. This has facilitated the free movement of these goods between Member States. In the short term those standards will not change. Furthermore, to ensure minimum disruption at the UK border, we will not introduce new border controls on these goods imported from the EU. Import requirements relating to welfare will also be retained. To ensure we remain vigilant, we will require advance notification of imports of high risk food and feed from the EU. This includes products of animal origin and high risk food and feed not of animal origin. The Food Standards Agency will be in a position to monitor those notifications so that, in the event of a food incident occurring involving imported food or feed, it will be able to respond effectively to safeguard public health by swiftly identifying the point of entry to the UK and the spread of a problem. We will also be reviewing our imports regime once we leave the EU. For imports from countries outside the EU we will maintain the current controls, and consignments of animal products will continue to be required to enter at UK Border Inspection Posts for veterinary checks. Notification will be required using the UK Import of Products, Animals and Food and Feed System. These controls will also apply to products of animal origin that come from outside the EU, but travel through the EU before arriving in the UK.

Tree Planting: Urban Areas

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department is making available for planting or replanting urban trees to replace trees that have been removed due to disease or decay.

Zac Goldsmith: There are no grants available specifically for the replacement of trees removed due to disease or decay, but there are opportunities for funding or new planting in and around our towns and cities under the recently launched £10 million Urban Tree Challenge Fund. This fund will support the planting of up to 130,000 trees across towns and cities in England, and contributes to our manifesto commitment to plant one million urban trees by 2022.

Livestock: Animal Welfare

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban cages for all farm animals in the UK.

Zac Goldsmith: The issue of cages for farmed animals is one in which the government is taking a close interest. We have already banned cages or close confinement systems where there is clear scientific evidence that they are detrimental to animal health and welfare. We banned the keeping of calves in veal crates in 1990, sixteen years before the rest of the EU. We banned the keeping of sows in close confinement stalls in the UK in 1999, and conventional battery cages for laying hens in 2012. I am pleased that the UK has by far the largest free range laying hen sector of any EU country, with over 50% of our hens kept in free range systems. The government is actively looking into the use of cages and we will be considering the full range of options that are available for future reform.

Livestock: Animal Welfare

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the merits of banning the caging of farmed animals.

Zac Goldsmith: The issue of cages for farmed animals is one in which the government is taking a close interest. We have already banned cages or close confinement systems where there is clear scientific evidence that they are detrimental to animal health and welfare. We banned the keeping of calves in veal crates in 1990, sixteen years before the rest of the EU. We banned the keeping of sows in close confinement stalls in the UK in 1999, and conventional battery cages for laying hens in 2012. I am pleased that the UK has by far the largest free range laying hen sector of any EU country, with over 50% of our hens kept in free range systems. The government is actively looking into the use of cages and we will be considering the full range of options that are available for future reform.

Amazonia: Fires

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is giving to indigenous people in the Amazon affected by major forest fires; and what steps his Department is taking to discourage forest burning by logging and farming interests in Brazil.

Zac Goldsmith: The increase in forest fires in the Amazon is a tragedy for all of us, but none more so than the indigenous people who call the Amazon their home. These fires are made more likely by deforestation, and that is why we have invested nearly £120 million of our international climate finance in projects to limit deforestation, support local and indigenous people, prevent forest fires and implement the Forest Code in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. We will continue to work with Brazilian partners at federal and sub-national levels to help them protect the Amazon, and to support the transition to a low carbon economy. The first phase of Defra’s £24.9 million Low-carbon Agriculture programme, for example, completed in May this year. It reached over 18,500 beneficiaries in the Amazon and Atlantic forest biomes, avoided the clearance of 175,000 hectares of land, reduced carbon emissions by 52% and delivered a seven-fold increase in livestock productivity.

Animal Breeding

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Breeding (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 S.I., No. 117, what assessment he has made of the preparedness of the appropriate authorities defined in that instrument in each constituent part of the UK of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement on 31 October 2019.

George Eustice: Defra has been working closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure preparedness in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. The existing EU regime will continue to apply in the UK, with the Animal Breeding (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations rolling over current EU legislation into UK law. As part of our no deal planning, Defra has applied to the EU Commission for third country listing of our UK animal breeding organisations so that they can continue to participate in zootechnical trade with EU breeding organisations.

Fishing Vessels: Licensing

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Sea Fish Licensing (England) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 S.I., 253, what assessment he has made of the preparedness of the appropriate authorities in England to operate licensing procedures for foreign fishing vessels in the event that the UK leaves the EU on 31 October 2019.

George Eustice: When the UK leaves the EU, access for foreign vessels to fish in UK waters will be a matter for negotiation. Foreign fishing vessels will be prohibited from fishing in UK waters unless they have a licence issued by the UK. In the event of an agreement providing for access to UK waters for foreign vessels, the Marine Management Organisation will act as the UK’s Single Issuing Authority and will licence non-UK vessels to fish in UK waters on behalf of Devolved Fisheries Administrations

Home Office

Modern Slavery Act 2015

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation will be required as a result of the Government's response to the review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: In response to the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act, on the 9 July the Home Office launched a public consultation to gather views on proposals to strengthen section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act. The proposals under consideration – including extending the reporting requirement to public sector organisations, requiring organisations to report on specific topics and introducing a new civil penalty regime – would require changes to primary legislation. Following the consultation, the Home Office will make any necessary legislative changes as soon as Parliamentary time allows.The full Government response to the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was published in July 2019 and is available via the link below. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-modern-slavery-act

Immigration: EU Nationals

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will provide translations of the EU Settlement Scheme publications (a) Leaflet 1: Important information for EU citizens in the UK and (b) Leaflet 2: Application guidance for EU citizens in the UK into each official language of the EU.

Brandon Lewis: It is vital that the over three million EU citizens and their family members living in the UK understand how and when to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme. At the end of March, the Home Office launched a new national marketing campaign to encourage EU citizens to apply.The Home Office has translated advertising and communications materials into 25 European languages and Welsh. This includes the applicant guidance, poster, factsheet and videos. These materials are all available on GOV.UK.The Home Office continually reviews it translated materials and translated communications and engagement materials will continue to be available throughout the lifetime of the Scheme.

Human Trafficking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the outcome was of her Department's review into different responses provided to FOI requests 53533 and 52979 in relation to the immigration outcomes of victims of trafficking.

Victoria Atkins: An internal review was conducted on request 53533 and a response sent to the requester on 12 July. This found that the outcome of the original response (refusal under the cost limit) was correct. The two requests (53533 and 52979) asked for distinct information, hence the difference in responses: in one case the information could be provided within the cost limit, in the other it could not.

Slavery

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many confirmed victims of modern slavery are waiting for a decision on their immigration status; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: Prior to the transfer of National Referral Mechanism decision making responsibilities to the Home Office Single Competent Authority (SCA) in April 2019, publications were produced by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and can be accessed via the NCA website. https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/component/finder/search?q=national+referral+mechanism+&Search= Responsibility for publishing the NRM statistics now sits with the Home Office, and the first report (Q2 2019) was published at the end of August. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/827508/national-referral-mechanism-statistics-quarter-2-2019-april-to-june.pdf The publication does not distinguish the immigration status of confirmed victims but invites stakeholders to submit their interest into a review of how the publication of NRM statistics can be improved. It is not possible to accurately provide data on the number of confirmed victims awaiting a decision on their immigration status currently due to the range of potential immigration outcomes following an NRM decision.

Slavery

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the trafficked status of a confirmed victim of modern slavery is considered when determining their application for leave to remain; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The UK’s policy for confirmed victims of modern slavery is to consider on a case-by-case basis whether a grant of leave to remain is appropriate, taking into account the particular circumstances of each case.

Human Trafficking: Vietnam

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Foreign Secretary on the trafficking of people between the UK and Vietnam; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The UK Government is committed to the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking globally by 2030, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. The Home Office and Foreign Office work closely to combat modern slavery internationally and to engage governments in dialogue, including countries of origin for victims of modern slavery. In addition to engagement, the UK has committed £200 million in UK aid to tackle modern slavery. This supports a range of interventions, such as the commitment of £5 million to a programme in Nigeria and £3 million to Vietnam through the Home Office Modern Slavery Fund to prevent modern slavery and build capacity to tackle it at source. HMG also agreed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Countering Human Trafficking with the Vietnamese government in 2018.

Human Trafficking: Nigeria

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Foreign Secretary on the trafficking of people between the UK and Nigeria; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The UK Government is committed to the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking globally by 2030, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. The Home Office and Foreign Office work closely to combat modern slavery internationally and to engage governments in dialogue, including countries of origin for victims of modern slavery. In addition to engagement, the UK has committed £200 million in UK aid to tackle modern slavery. This supports a range of interventions, such as the commitment of £5 million to a programme in Nigeria and £3 million to Vietnam through the Home Office Modern Slavery Fund to prevent modern slavery and build capacity to tackle it at source. HMG also agreed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Countering Human Trafficking with the Vietnamese government in 2018.

Action Fraud: Training

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will undertake an investigation into reports that Action Fraud call handlers are coached to tell callers to that helpline that they are talking to police officers.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the performance of Action Fraud and publish the results.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking in response to reports that Action Fraud is not investigating fraud cases.

Brandon Lewis: This Government is determined to crack down on fraudsters and it is vital that victims have the confidence to come forward and know that their case will be dealt with properly.The allegations concerning Action Fraud Contact Centre staff behaviour, reported recently in The Times articles, raises serious concerns. The Home Secretary has asked the City of London Police to set out how they intend to respond to these allegations. I will closely monitor the response and the performance of Action Fraud.Action Fraud is the national reporting service for fraud and cyber crime. It receives reports from the public via its call centre and its website, however the operational response to fraud, including decision to investigate, remains with individual forces.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Mr Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what processes his Department has put in place for an EU citizen arriving in the UK  to prove to immigration officials at the point of entry that they are eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme in the event that freedom of movement between the EU and UK ends on 1 November 2019; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: We are leaving the European Union on 31 October 2019 and, in a no deal Brexit, freedom of movement as it currently stands will end then.The Prime Minister has been clear that we want EU citizens who are resident in the UK by exit to stay and they will be eligible for status under the EU Settlement Scheme to enable them to do so. In a no deal Brexit, they will have until at least 31 December 2020 to apply. Until then, they will continue to be able to use their EU passport or national identity card to prove their rights to work and rent property; and will have the same rights to work and access benefits and services as they have now. Border crossing arrangements will not change on 1 November 2019; EU citizens will continue to cross the border as they do now, using their passport or national identity card. They will be able to use e-Gates if they are travelling on a biometric passport, and they will not face routine intentions testing.

Crime Prevention: Publicity

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department consulted with (a) young people and (b) members of the DCMS Youth Steering Group before launching the #knifefree chicken boxes campaign on 14 August 2019.

Kit Malthouse: The #knifefree campaign has been developed in close consultation with young people. Regular independent quantitative and qualitative research has been undertaken with the target audience to inform campaign development and evaluation. During campaign development we undertook qualitative research with young people aged 10-21 years old in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Leeds. Across the age range, fast food eateries were one of the key environments young people stated that they spend time. A workshop held with stakeholders in December 2017 recommended that we ensured we placed outdoor advertisements strategically (i.e. in places where the audience are likely to go and spend time). Examples of these that were given included chicken shops. We piloted the #knifefree fast food boxes in Spring 2019 in London and Manchester. Research conducted by All City Media Solutions indicated that there was:A 16% increase in spontaneous awareness of the #knifefree campaign among visitors to chicken shops that did carry the #knifefree chicken and burger boxes and had the adverts on their screensA 17% increase in prompted awareness of the #knifefree campaign among visitors to chicken shops that did carry the #knifefree chicken and burger boxes and had the adverts on their screens We have not previously consulted with members of the DCMS Youth Steering Group, however would welcome the opportunity to work with them on future campaign planning.

Free Movement of People: Brexit

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the impact assessment of the additional border restrictions for people moving between EU Member States and the UK after the UK leaves the EU that were reported on 19 August 2019; and if she will make a statement.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional border checks will be put in place on people moving between the EU and the UK after the UK leaves the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to provide information for employers on their obligations towards EU nationals living and working in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to provide clarity to EU nationals living and working in the UK on what they need to do to (a) remain and (b) continue to be able to work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: When the UK leaves the European Union on 31 October, free movement as it currently stands will end, if the UK leaves without a deal. The details of new immigration arrangements for EU citizens moving to the UK after a no deal Brexit were announced on 4 September (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-09-04/HCWS1817/). To remain in the UK after 2020, EU citizens moving to the UK after a no deal Brexit, and their close family members, will be able to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain. Under this scheme, EU citizens will be granted a period of 36 months’ leave to remain in the UK, which will provide them and their employers, with greater confidence and certainty during the transitional period before the new points-based immigration system is introduced from January 2021. The rights of EU citizens resident in the UK before Brexit are unchanged and will be protected by the status they can obtain under the EU Settlement Scheme, as more than one million of them have already done. They will have at least until 31 December 2020 to make an application under that scheme. Until the new points-based immigration system is introduced in 2021, EU citizens will be able to prove their right to take up employment, as now, by using their passport or national identity card. Alternatively, those with status under the EU Settlement Scheme or with European Temporary Leave to Remain may choose to use the Home Office on-line checking service to demonstrate their entitlement. When the new points-based immigration system is introduced from January 2021, employers will need to check that, in respect of any new recruitment, an EU citizen has a valid UK immigration status. The Home Office continues to undertake extensive communications activity with employers. This includes events, webinars, and an online guide to employing EU citizens after Brexit. We have also published an employer toolkit to enable employers to provide reassurance and information to their staff. Advertising and local events are now underway to support the cross-government Get Ready campaign.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2018 to Question 203927, what her Department's policy is on whether EU citizens with Leave to Land who do not apply for pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme will still maintain the same rights once the UK has left the EU.

Brandon Lewis: A person granted leave to land under earlier (repealed) legislation is treated for the purposes of the Immigration Act 1971 as having been granted leave to enter the UK. Existing leave to enter and the rights conferred by this will not be affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of EEA nationals that will not have applied to the EU settlement scheme by (a) 30 June 2021 and (b) 31 December 2020 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive communications and engagement plan and is working with a range of stakeholders to ensure that all those who are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme do so by the relevant deadline.We are encouraged by the initial number of applications, well over one million people have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, but recognise that we must continue to raise awareness of the Scheme to ensure that all resident EEA and Swiss citizens are aware of the steps they need to take to secure their status in the UK. Advertising and local events are underway to support the cross government Get Ready campaign and further publicity will roll out over the lifetime of the Scheme. All available channels will be used to reach our audiences – such as direct marketing, radio, video-on-demand and outdoor advertising, presentations, email updates, toolkits and webinars to name a few – to direct EU citizens towards reliable sources of information on GOV.UK and the application itself.We have made clear that we will take a proportionate approach to anyone who misses the deadline and will make provision for those who have reasonable grounds for doing so to apply after the deadline. Those who apply before the deadline but whose application is not decided until after the deadline will have all their rights protected until their application is concluded.

Sodexo: Contracts

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to extend the contract with Sodexo to pay asylum seekers through the use of an Aspen card by six months.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office intend to extend the contract for three months but reserve the right to extend for a further three months if required.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Mr Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria her Department plans to use to require non-UK EU citizens to undertake visa clearance prior to arrival in the UK after 1 November 2019; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: We are leaving the EU on 31 October and this will mean that freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on 31 October.Whether we leave the EU with or without a deal, the Government has announced that EEA and Swiss nationals will be able to continue to travel to the UK for holidays or short-term trips, without needing a visa. The arrangements for people coming to the UK for longer periods of time and for work and study will change. Details of changes immediately after 31 October and improvements to the previous government’s plans for a new immigration system are being developed.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that EEA nationals are able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they (a) lack mental capacity, and (b) are detained in a secure mental health unit.

Brandon Lewis: There is a wide range of support available on the phone, email and in person for people making, or those supporting people to make, applications. This includes funding 57 organisations with up to £9m from the Home Office to help vulnerable EU citizens to apply. Ensuring that vulnerable EU citizens are supported to obtain status is a core element in the delivery of the scheme. For applicants with additional care and support needs, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders to determine responsibilities in multiple complex scenarios across different care settings to ensure appropriate support is in place. This includes:o Those in care homes (nursing and residential), receiving community or at home support;o Those whose care is funded by local authorities, the NHS or privately, and combinations of care funding; ando Those who lack mental capacityWe are working collaboratively with key organisations such as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, the Devolved Administrations, the NHS and Office of the Public Guardian, as well as with stakeholders including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Care Provider Allice and Local Government Association.This collaborative approach is informing the development of a support model that will set out how local authorities and partners can work together to identify and support adults with care and support needs to apply to the Settlement Scheme.

Home Office: Brexit

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings her Department has had with Wirral Council to discuss preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Brandon Lewis: It is the duty of any responsible Government to prepare for every eventuality including the scenario that we leave the EU without agreeing a deal.We are working closely with operational partners - including the police - on contingency planning so we can ensure the safety and security of our citizens in all scenarios.Forces are working closely with partner agencies in Local Resilience Forums across the country to prepare at a local level.

Cabinet Office

Constituencies

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government still plans to bring forward the 2018 Boundary Commission proposals to Parliament.

Kevin Foster: In January 2019, a judicial review was submitted to the High Court in Northern Ireland against the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland’s final reportOn 28 May, the Court issued its judgment, which concluded that the Boundary Commission had erred in law in the conduct of its consultation on the proposed new constituencies for Northern IrelandBoth parties in the judicial review have lodged an appeal against the Court’s judgment and the date of the appeal hearing is expected to be set later this yearThe Government awaits the outcome of these legal proceedings. Primary legislation requires the boundary changes for the constituent nations of the United Kingdom be made at the same time.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a pilot scheme allowing election-day voter registration in polling stations.

Kevin Foster: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 03 September 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The Government has no plans to introduce election day registration. To work effectively and securely, it would require all polling stations in a constituency to be electronically linked and the register updated in real time to prevent anyone registering and voting in onepolling station and moving quickly to another to do the same. This would present considerable technical challenges and carry significant cost.Such a change would introduce uncertainties as to the register to be used for the election and undermine confidence in the process if candidates were unable to challenge any unusual trends in registration prior to Polling Day.Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are legally responsible for determining who is eligible to vote in polls in their local areas. Coming to a determination can take time and cannot be done instantaneously.

Kevin Foster: The Government has no plans to introduce election day registration. To work effectively and securely, it would require all polling stations in a constituency to be electronically linked and the register updated in real time to prevent anyone registering and voting in onepolling station and moving quickly to another to do the same. This would present considerable technical challenges and carry significant cost.Such a change would introduce uncertainties as to the register to be used for the election and undermine confidence in the process if candidates were unable to challenge any unusual trends in registration prior to Polling Day.Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are legally responsible for determining who is eligible to vote in polls in their local areas. Coming to a determination can take time and cannot be done instantaneously.

Public Sector: Computer Software

Jo Platt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278600, for what reason that Answer did not confirm whether the Government has requested an extension for Windows 7 support from Microsoft.

Simon Hart: The Government Digital Service (GDS) provides government departments with guidance on selecting technology through the Technology Code of Practice. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technology-code-of-practice/technology-code-of-practiceIndividual technology choices and volumes purchased rest with individual departments. As such, GDS does not provide guidance to departments on specific operating systems, such as Windows 7 and the Government does not hold information concerning departments choice to use Windows 7 machines centrally. Microsoft provides guidance for its operating systems should departments need specific information.Additionally, the National Cyber Security Centre published information on their blog on the upcoming removal of Windows 7 Support. The blog post can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/one-year-left-windows-7-support

Cabinet Office: Redundancy Pay

Jo Platt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) Cabinet and (b) former Cabinet members have returned severance payments to the public purse in the last three years.

Oliver Dowden: Severance payments for Ministers are a statutory entitlement under section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991. Information relating to Cabinet Ministers’ severance payments is held by individual departments, and is published in their departmental annual report and accounts. These are published on gov.uk.

Cabinet Office: Training

John Lamont: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has for training on devolution for the Civil Service.

Kevin Foster: It has never been more important for civil servants to understand devolution. As we leave the EU a whole range of powers will return from Brussels and the Civil Service must be ready to understand how those powers interact with the devolution settlements.My department champions devolution capability right across the Civil Service through the flagship Devolution and You programme. Our learning and development offer is extensive, ranging from online training to immersive workshops, work shadowing and written guidance. Departments and devolved administrations also create tailored devolution training on their specific policy areas and priorities.We are constantly reviewing Devolution and You to develop additional training. For example, we are working right now on enhancing our work shadowing and interchange scheme so more civil servants can spend time directly working in different administrations and different parts of the UK.

Civil Servants

John Lamont: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to increase the number of Civil Service roles outside of London.

Simon Hart: The Government has committed to ensure that the administration of government, including civil service roles and public bodies are located in the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. The Cabinet Office is co-ordinating this activity through the Places for Growth programme.To date the Programme has identified over three thousand roles for relocation over a phased timetable and it is working with all departments and public bodies to drive location and workforce planning ahead of the next Spending Review.

National Security Strategy Implementation Groups

Nia Griffith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the recently established National Security Strategy Implementation Groups in improving cross-departmental working.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of appointing Senior Responsible Officials as part of the Government’s roll out of the Fusion Doctrine.

Oliver Dowden: The 2018 National Security Capability Review (NSCR) introduced Fusion, a new approach designed to improve our collective approach to national security and ability to use all of the UK’s capabilities and policy levers to tackle complex national security questions. Senior Responsible Owners (SRO) are assigned to each of the National Security Council’s (NSC) priorities, each supported by an NSSIG to develop robust advice to the NSC on both strategy and implementation.The NSCR also set out the intention to conduct an Annual Posture Review (APR), the first of which took place earlier this year and is the most substantive recent review of Fusion as a whole. A summary of the key findings from the APR can be found at paragraphs 5.11-5.12 of the Third Annual Report on the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

National Security

Nia Griffith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contingencies the Government has put in place to ensure that the roll out of Fusion Doctrine will continue in the event that the current National Security Advisor leaves his post.

Oliver Dowden: The Fusion Doctrine was established in the Government’s National Security Capability Review, published in March 2018. It created a more accountable system to support collective Cabinet decision-making, with the introduction of senior responsible owners to deliver each of the National Security Council’s (NSC) priorities. Each senior responsible owner is accountable to the NSC for the development of options and the implementation of the Government’s strategy. The Fusion Doctrine is not dependent on the holder of any post at a particular point in time.

Government Departments: Digital Technology

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2019 to Question 279145, on what date his Department most recently assessed the number of Government Transformation Strategy objectives on track to be met by 2020; and if he will set a time frame for the publication of this information.

Simon Hart: The Government Transformation Strategy concludes in March 2020. The Government Digital Service (GDS) will publish an assessment of progress against the commitments set out in the strategy later in 2020.

Foreign Relations: Africa

Nia Griffith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the working relationship between the Whitehall Africa Group and the Africa National Security Strategy Implementation Group; and what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk of duplication of effort of those two groups.

Oliver Dowden: The Sub-Saharan Africa National Security Strategy Implementation Group (NSIG) is an internal governance mechanism established to oversee the development of HMG’s strategic policy priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is led by a Senior Responsible Officer at Director General level. The Whitehall Africa Group (WAG) is responsible for implementing the strategic approach set out by the NSSIG for those areas of policy within its remit, including overseeing discrete country and regional strategies and acting as the Regional Board for Sub-Saharan Africa’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund allocation. The WAG is chaired by the FCO Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, who sits as a member of the NSIG. This construct allows for a productive working relationship between the two structures, which ensures that HMG’s engagement is effectively and coherently delivered, without any duplication of effort.

Treasury

Bingo: Taxation

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the financial effect on the bingo industry of the change to bingo duty in 2014.

Mr Simon Clarke: No assessment has been made. Bingo Duty was reduced to 10% at Budget 2014 in recognition of bingo halls’ benefits to local community life.

Bookmakers and Football Pools: Taxation

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the rate of gross profit tax levied from (a) the Football Pools and (b) bookmakers; what the rationale is for applying the same rate of duty to the Football Pools and bookmakers; and what recent assessment he has made of reducing the reducing the rate of the Pools Betting Duty to 10 per cent.

Mr Simon Clarke: No recent estimate has been made. Pool Betting Duty raises around £5m and General Betting Duty raises around £600m in revenue for the Exchequer per annum. The rate of duty on the Football Pools and Bookmakers was set by the previous Government. Reducing Pool Betting Duty to 10% is likely to have a negligible effect on the Football Pools, but could put revenue at risk particularly through incentivising switching of products from fixed odds bets to pooled bets. HM Treasury however keeps all taxes under active review.

Help to Buy Scheme: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have benefited from the Help to Buy ISA in (a) north east Scotland and (b) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine; and what the cost to the public purse was of that policy in those areas since the introduction of that scheme.

John Glen: We do not hold Help to Buy: ISA data specifically for the North East of Scotland or West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine. However, since the introduction of the scheme, the number of First Time Buyers that have benefitted from the Help to Buy: ISA in Scotland is 20,921, with 629 being in Aberdeenshire. The value of the bonuses paid to help people onto the housing ladder in Scotland is £23,230,645 and of this, £738,986 worth of bonuses were paid in Aberdeenshire. This information is available in the Help to Buy: ISA accompanying tables as of March 2019 available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-isa-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2015-to-march-2019

Wealth

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to narrow wealth differentials between the richest and poorest (a) individuals, (b) regions, (c) counties and (d) constituencies.

Rishi Sunak: Addressing inequalities is an important consideration for this Government, and steps have already been taken to ensure those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden. That is why we have introduced reforms to dividend taxation and capital gains tax, and ended permanent non-domicile status – to ensure the rich pay their fair share. This has led to the top 1% of income taxpayers paying 29% of income tax – a record high. This Government is also committed to ensuring opportunities are shared in every part of the country. People across all regions are benefitting from investments the Government is making. For example, since 2015, £12bn from the Local Growth Fund has been provided to local enterprise partnerships for projects that benefit the local area and economy. In addition to this, our new £3.6 billion Towns Fund will level up opportunity and create places across the UK where people want to live and thrive – supporting an initial 100 towns. By supporting all places to reach their potential, we can drive growth at a national level and readily share the benefits of a more prosperous United Kingdom.

Aviation: Alternative Fuels

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 277102 on Aviation: Alternative Fuels, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing tax (a) incentives and (b) disincentives to accelerate the switch to alternative aviation fuels.

Mr Simon Clarke: In line with international conventions to which the UK is party, the government does not charge fuel duty on commercial aviation fuel, therefore alternative aviation fuels cannot currently be supported through the tax system. Biofuels are supported outside of the tax system through a market-based certificate trading mechanism called the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which has a sharp environmental focus.

Financial Services: Technology

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of support it provides to the FinTech sector in the UK.

John Glen: The UK has been independently ranked as the best place in the world to start and grow a Fintech firm, and the government is committed to maintaining the UK’s leading edge in the sector. That is why the government has delivered against all of the commitments made in the Fintech Sector Strategy, which was launched last year. The government announced at Mansion House 2019 that HM Treasury would launch a review into the payments landscape, which looks to ensure that regulation and infrastructure is able to keep pace with new payments models. The government also announced that it would explore building on the success of Open Banking by developing an agenda for ‘Open Finance’, looking at ways to safely and securely share data across a wider range of financial services products. This will further revolutionise the sector and increase the ability of Fintech firms to compete with traditional financial services firms.

Banks: Closures

John Lamont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he will take to reduce bank closures in rural areas.

John Glen: The Government recognises that the closure of bank branches is a very important issue for many people, particularly in rural communities. However, banking service providers need to balance customer interests and other commercial factors when considering their strategies. Although the Government understands the dissatisfaction, it is right that decisions on opening and closing branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. Government cannot reverse the changes in the market and in customer behaviour; nor can it determine firms’ commercial strategies in response to those changes. In 2018, two-thirds of UK adults used contactless payments, 72% used online banking and 48% used mobile banking, according to UK Finance. The Government is committed to ensuring that all areas of the UK benefit from world class digital connectivity, and we have invested heavily to meet that ambition. The £1.8bn superfast programme has ensured that 96% of the UK has access to download speeds of at least 24Mbps. For those premises that do not have access to download speeds of at least 10 Mbps, the Government have introduced the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which allows people to request a USO connection from the designated Universal Service provider, BT, from March 2020. However, the Government still firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to over-the-counter banking services if they wish to use them. That is why the Government is in full support of the voluntary Access to Banking Standard that the major high-street banks are signed up to. This commits them to keep customers well informed about branch closures, and to set out their reasons for closures and the alternative options for continued access to services. It is also why the Government supports the Post Office Banking Framework Agreement, which enables 99% of personal customers and 95% of small business customers to carry out their everyday banking at one of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches.

Brexit

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding from the public purse his Department spent on the production of the graphic tweeted by his Department on 31 July 2019 entitled We’re announcing £2.1bn funding new funding to prepare for no deal.

Mr Simon Clarke: The graphic tweeted by HM Treasury on no deal funding was produced in-house by the digital communications team.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

Graham P Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to raise the pension tax allowance above the current rate of 25 per cent.

John Glen: The Government wishes to encourage pension saving, to help ensure that people have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement. This is why, for the majority of savers, pension contributions are tax-free. Furthermore, investment growth of assets in a pension scheme is not subject to tax. Up to 25% of the pension pot can be taken tax-free. After this, payments of pensions are subject to income tax at an individual’s marginal rate, to reflect the fact that these are a form of deferred income and have not been previously taxed. In addition, the Government is committed to keeping taxes low to ensure people keep more of what they earn. In April of this year, the Government met its commitment to raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500, one year early. This means the Government has now raised the personal allowance by over 90% in less than a decade. In 2019-20, over 32 million individuals will see their income tax bill reduced and 1.74 million people on the lowest incomes will have been taken out of income tax altogether since 2015-16. A typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,205 less income tax compared to 2010-11. The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.

Electronic Publishing: VAT

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in other EU member states and (b) industry of the potential merits of introducing a reduced rate of VAT on e-publications; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations. Any representations on this issue will be considered as part of the fiscal events process. The Government is aware of moves in some EU Member States to apply a reduced rate of VAT to e-publications. Within the UK, officials have met with a range of interested stakeholders, including representatives of the publishing industry, to better understand the functioning of the market.

Football Pools: Excise Duties

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to football pools of reducing betting duty to 10 per cent.

Mr Simon Clarke: No assessment of the impact of reducing the rate of Pool Betting Duty to 10% has been made. Pool Betting Duty covers a range of gambling activity that goes wider than the football pools. Due to the ease of changing between pools betting and regular betting the Government considers it would put a significant portion of the General Betting Duty receipts at risk – which totalled £619m in 2018-19. However, all taxes are kept under review.

Electronic Publishing: VAT

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for the UK's literacy rates of removing VAT from digital products.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of zero-rating VAT on digital publications on the literacy of (a) young boys and (b) children on free schools meals who prefer to read on screen.

Jesse Norman: The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT. Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations. Any representations on this issue will be considered as part of the fiscal events process. The impact on literacy of any reduction of VAT on e-publications is likely to depend on commercial decisions about the extent to which any tax saving would lead to price reductions for consumers, and any associated behavioural changes.

Government Departments: Public Expenditure

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department issued to Departments on the baseline for bids for the spending review; and whether the effect of additional resources in relation to the UK leaving the EU were included in the calculations for that review.

Rishi Sunak: At launch, the Treasury sent official-level guidance and templates setting out financial and other information required from Departments to make assessments of funding needs. As at all spending reviews and spending rounds, in Spending Round 2019 baselines have been adjusted to represent ongoing spend, with one-off or time limited spend removed and ongoing spend from the Reserves baselined. This applied to additional resources for leaving the EU that had been provided from the Reserves.

Electronic Publishing: VAT

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of VAT on e-publications on children’s literacy in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT. Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations. Any representations on this issue will be considered as part of the fiscal events process. The impact on literacy of any reduction of VAT on e-publications is likely to depend on commercial decisions about the extent to which any tax saving would lead to price reductions for consumers, and any associated behavioural changes.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Hate Crime: Sports

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding the Government has allocated to tackle hate speech in sport; and what proportion of that funding has been spent, in each of the last five years.

Nigel Adams: It is not possible to isolate government funding to tackle hate speech in sport. Government and its arm's length body for grassroots sport, Sport England, work with National Governing Bodies of Sport and organisations such as Kick It Out, Stonewall and Women in Football to tackle discrimination in local, national and international sport. Grassroots sports clubs can also access free support and learning in tackling discrimination through Sport England's "Club Matters" programme. There is no place in sport or society more generally for any acts of discrimination, including hate speech. Sports clubs and fans must continue to embrace diversity and report incidents of discrimination wherever it occurs.

Gun Sports: Commonwealth Games

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made in restoring shooting to the range of sports in the Commonwealth Games.

Nigel Adams: The decision on which core and optional sports are included in the Commonwealth Games sports programme rests with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and its constituent members. A decision on the status of shooting as an optional sport was taken at the 2015 Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly, and also reaffirmed in 2016, when the new CGF Constitution was approved. Shooting was not included at point of bid in the sport programme for the 2022 Games in Birmingham, but following interest from a number of the optional sports and disciplines, the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee has recently concluded an Additional Sports review and costing exercise, considering the merits of adding additional sports, including shooting, to the Games within available resources. The review considered financial considerations and the potential for additional revenue generation, the availability of suitable venues, and alignment with the CGF Constitution and the objectives of Games partners. It also considered submissions from each of the sports concerned. Based on the conclusions from the review, the Organising Committee’s recommendation was to support the inclusion of Women’s Cricket, Beach Volleyball and Para Table Tennis, but not to add Shooting or Archery to the programme for Birmingham.This recommendation was subsequently approved by the CGF Executive Board, and confirmed by a vote of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s membership, who make the final decision on the matter. Looking ahead, any consideration of shooting’s inclusion in future games will be a matter for the Commonwealth Games Federation, and the Organising Committees of future Games. The Government does recognise the strength of feeling on the matter among the shooting community, and the desire to have an opportunity to showcase the sport in 2022, and as such I have spoken to the Commonwealth Games Federation regarding the matter. They have agreed to advise British Shooting on the next steps for taking forward proposals for an event for Commonwealth shooters, to be delivered separately from the Games. The responsibility for any event would sit with British Shooting, but I hope that this will give the shooting community in the UK the opportunity to compete against shooters from across the Commonwealth in a UK event in 2022.

Social Media: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his Scottish Government counterpart and (b) social media companies on tackling online (i) abuse and (ii) extremist content in Scotland.

Matt Warman: DCMS regularly engages with social media companies and the Scottish Government on a range of issues relating to online harms, including as part of the recent consultation on the Online Harms White Paper. The consultation closed on 1 July and the Government intends to publish its response before the end of the year.

Monuments: Scapa Flow

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has made on the proposed sale of dedicated monuments at Scapa Flow.

Rebecca Pow: The wrecks in question – the SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm, SMS Konig, SMS Markgraf and SMS Karlsruhe – lie within Scapa Flow, Orkney. They are protected as scheduled monuments under the terms of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Designation of scheduled monuments is a devolved matter for the Scottish Government and it has given responsibility for this to Historic Environment Scotland. Many scheduled monuments are owned privately and their ownership can change. This does not change their protected status. The proposed sale of the wrecks by their current owner does not change the fact that they are scheduled monuments. Permission to undertake works to the Scapa Flow wrecks will continue to require the prior written consent of Historic Environment Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government is considering changing the designation of the wrecks from scheduled monuments to a Historic Marine Protected Area, a designation which was introduced in Scotland by the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. A public consultation about this proposal has recently taken place and the results will be published soon. Decisions about designating Historic Marine Protected Areas are taken by Scottish Ministers.

Loneliness: Young People

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support the Government provides to tackle loneliness among young people.

Nicky Morgan: Last year’s loneliness strategy, ‘A Connected Society: A strategy for tackling loneliness - laying the foundations for change’, sets out almost 60 new commitments from nine government departments. Many of these commitments are targeted at tackling loneliness among children and young people. Examples include: teaching all primary and secondary school children in England about loneliness from September 2020 under the new subjects of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education and supporting young people to look after local green spaces and wildlife habitats, while building social connections, through the #iwill campaign. Twenty-two of the 126 organisations funded through the £11.5m Building Connections Fund (delivered in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and the Co-op Foundation) are working specifically with young people at risk of loneliness. We are also working with the Office for National Statistics and other external partners to improve the evidence base on youth loneliness.

Youth Services: Finance

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the review his Department has launched into statutory guidance for local authorities on providing youth services, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment on funding for youth services.

Nicky Morgan: Local authorities are responsible for allocating public funding to youth services in their area. We believe they are best placed to know what is required in their communities. To increase opportunities for young people to benefit from open access youth services and youth social action, Government is investing £80 million, in partnership the National Lottery Community Fund, through the Youth Investment and #iwill Funds. A public call for evidence as part of the review of the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services will be announced in due course. We expect that the review will provide greater clarity of Government’s expectations, including the value added by good youth work.

Youth Services: Finance

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the review his Department has launched into statutory guidance for local authorities on providing youth services, whether he plans to (a) allocate funding and (b) issue guidance as a result of that review.

Nicky Morgan: Local authorities are responsible for allocating public funding to youth services in their area. We believe they are best placed to know what is required in their communities. On 10th July this year, my department launched the review of the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services. Preliminary roundtables were held with youth sector organisations and young people through the Government’s Youth Steering Group, focussing on the strengths and weaknesses of the current guidance. A public call for evidence as the next step of this process will be announced in due course.

Broadband: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he next plans to meet with his Scottish Government counterpart to discuss increasing the availability of superfast broadband in the north east of Scotland.

Matt Warman: The Secretary of State met her Scottish counterpart, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, in August 2019 shortly after her appointment. Officials from Building Digital UK meet regularly with Scottish officials on behalf of the Department to discuss broadband rollout in Scotland, including rollout in the north east of Scotland. The most recent Director level meeting was held in Glasgow on 20 August 2019.

Tourism: Coastal Areas

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) UK and (b) overseas citizens to take holidays in UK (i) seaside towns and (b) coastal communities.

Rebecca Pow: VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, which it does through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. VB sit on the Coastal Tourism Leadership Forum (run by the National Coastal Tourism Academy), helping to shape the Coastal Visitor Economy Vision and Action Plan. DCMS are observers at the forum. One of the projects currently being supported by the £40m VisitEngland Discover England Fund is the South West Coastal Path, which is promoting the path to the Dutch and German market. Government recently published the Tourism Sector Deal which aims to improve the sector’s productivity and ready our visitor economy for the visitors of the future.

Tourism: Coastal Areas

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to encourage  the development of tourism in seaside towns and coastal communities.

Rebecca Pow: VisitEngland administer the £40m Discover England Fund which has helped to develop a number of tourism products which celebrate our coastal communities, such as England’s Seafood Coast, the Garden Gourmet Trails of England and England’s Coast. My colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government also provide support and funding to coastal areas through the Coastal Communities Fund and the Coastal Revival Fund, much of which has a tourism focus. They have also set up Coastal Community Teams around the country to support the development of the coastal economy. An example of this investment is the Queensborough Harbour Trust Community Interest Company who received £500,000 of Coastal Communities Funding, increasing the number of moorings in the harbour, improving facilities for visitors and planning further activities and events for the future.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Newspaper Press

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department has spent on purchasing (a) national newspapers and (b) newspaper online subscriptions since 2016; and how many copies of each national newspaper were purchased in that time period.

Nigel Adams: Year2018/192017/182016/17Spending on Newspapers (£)15533. 417298.92710.95 Figures on the number of individual copies purchased is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Art Works

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to respond to the consultation on Strengthening the Process for Retaining National Treasures.

Rebecca Pow: We are currently analysing the responses to the 'Strengthening the Process for Retaining National Treasures' public consultation. The anaylsis is almost complete and a Government response will be issued following collective agreement, in line with standard procedures.

Art Works

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the consultation on Strengthening the Process for Retaining National Treasures, what plans she has to strengthen the process for retaining national treasures; and whether her Department has taken steps to implement the recommendations made by Sir Nigel Carrington.

Rebecca Pow: My Department is taking forward work to implement Sir Nigel Carrington’s recommendations: We are currently analysing the responses to the 'Strengthening the Process for Retaining National Treasures' public consultation. The analysis is almost complete and a Government Response will be issued following collective agreement, in line with standard procedures.

Television: Licensing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on the provision of free television licences to pensioners over the age of 75.

Nigel Adams: In the 2015 funding settlement, we agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020. The BBC's Director General, Lord Hall, said after the settlement in 2015: "the government's decisions to put the cost of the over-75's on us has been more than matched by the deal coming back for the BBC."The BBC announced in June 2019 that, only people who are aged 75 and above and in receipt of pension credit will continue to receive a free television licence from June 2020.The Government is very disappointed with this decision. People across the country value television as a way to stay connected, and the Government expects the BBC to look at further ways to support older people. My officials will be continuing discussions with the BBC in order to look at further ways to support older people.

Tourism: North Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase tourism in North Herefordshire.

Nicky Morgan: On 10th July this year, my department launched the review of the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services. Preliminary roundtables were held with youth sector organisations and young people through the Government’s Youth Steering Group, focussing on the strengths and weaknesses of the current guidance. A public call for evidence is the next step of this process and will be announced in due course.

Sports: West Midlands

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to make sport more accessible to (a) women and (b) disabled people in the West Midlands.

Nigel Adams: Government’s strategy for sport and physical activity ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ aims to create a more physically active nation, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the benefits that sport and physical activity can provide. The strategy focuses on people in groups that are currently less likely to take part in sport and physical activity, such as women and girls and disabled people. Our national sport council, Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ aims to deliver the aims of Sporting Future and has funded a number of projects aimed at supporting women and disabed people to be active in the West Midlands, including:Street League, who were awarded just over £543,000 to support the growth and sustainability of their Dance Fitness programme in 5 cities, including Birmingham in the West Midlands.Coventry Sports Foundation, who received over £7,000 to support the delivery of their #GoGirls programme at multiple sport centres across the city to engage female participants from deprived communities and minority backgrounds in activities including Zumba, Clubbercise, circuits, spinning, boot camp, swimming, netball and badminton.Royal Mencap Society, who received over £1m from Sport England (2018 – 2022) to deliver the Round the World Challenge, which aims to support people with a learning disability to get more active in a fun and engaging way by turning hours of sport and physical activity into a round the world adventure. It is running from 10 locations in year 1, including the West Midlands.the Sporting Sense programme, which runs in the Midlands, London and Yorkshire, supports adults and children who are deafblind and have complex communication needs. This project increases the number of people with multiple sensory impairments engaged in physical activity through direct delivery and upskilling the workforce. In August 2019, Sport England announced a further £1.3m investment for the evolution of the programme. In addition, the Government is supporting the delivery of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will have the biggest para sport and women’s sport programme in Commonwealth Games history. It is the first time any major multi-sport competition will have more medal events for women than men. It builds on the incredible growth of women’s sport in recent years and offers a fantastic opportunity to further increase the profile of para sport.

Passenger Ships

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’ proposals for older passenger boats and the effect of those proposals on (a) tourism, (b) visitors to National Historic Palaces and (c) vessels no longer being on the National Historic Ships Register; and if will she make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has not met with Ministers or officials from the Department for Transport to discuss the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals for older passenger boats. The Department for Transport held an initial public consultation which ran from 6 November 2018 to 29 January 2019 with a second consultation running from 29th May 2019 to 10 July 2019, which included impact assessments and took comments from a range of stakeholders. Officials at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are happy to discuss impacts with any interested parties and consider relevant evidence.

Passenger Ships

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with regional tourism bodies on the potential effect the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals for older passenger boats will have on the UK’s (a) fleet of passenger boats and (b) tourism industry.

Rebecca Pow: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has not had any discussions with regional tourism bodies on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals for older passenger boats. The Department for Transport held an initial public consultation which ran from 6 November 2018 to 29 January 2019 with a second consultation running from 29th May 2019 to 10 July 2019, which included impact assessments and took comments from a range of stakeholders. Officials at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are happy to discuss impacts with any interested parties and consider relevant evidence.

Social Media: Training

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to establish a voluntary citizen editors training scheme to help current social media moderators more effectively manage potentially damaging content.

Matt Warman: As outlined in the Online Harms White Paper, we intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. The duty of care will ensure companies have appropriate systems and processes in place to deal with harmful content on their services, and keep their users safe. The Government is currently analysing the responses to the White Paper consultation, and will publish its response by the end of the year.

Advertising: Misrepresentation

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Advertising Standards Authority bans adverts with misleading descriptions, particularly in relation to broadband speeds.

Matt Warman: Advertising in the UK is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the industry’s independent regulator, which enforces the Advertising Codes through a system of self-regulation and co-regulation with Ofcom. The Codes apply to all media, including broadcast and online. They incorporate all relevant legislation and set standards for accuracy and honesty to which advertisers must adhere, including specific conditions on advertising to children, causing offence and social responsibility. The ASA is recognised by the government, the courts and trading standards as the ‘established means’ for the enforcement of misleading advertising, and the Codes include rules designed to ensure that advertisers do not mislead consumers. It has a range of sanctions it can take against non-compliant advertisers and, as a last resort, can refer some to Trading Standards. The ASA and Ofcom have both taken action in relation to broadband speeds. In May 2018, the ASA implemented new guidance that requires broadband speed claims in adverts to be based on the download speeds available to at least 50% of customers at peak time and no longer on 'up to' speeds available to at least 10% of customers. In March 2019, Ofcom introduced an updated Broadband Speeds Code of Practice, which all the major communication providers have signed up to. Under this code, companies have to provide consumers with a minimum guaranteed speed at the point of sale. If a consumer’s speed then drops below this level, companies have one month to improve performance, before they must allow consumers to leave their contract without penalty. This right to exit also applies to landline and TV packages, which are purchased at the same time as broadband services.

Arts

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions his Department has had Trade Union representatives for the creative industries on the effect on that sector of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Nigel Adams: The creative industries are one of the UK's greatest success stories, producing an extraordinary level of talent recognised and respected the world over. The UK's decision to leave the EU will not change that. While we have not held meetings with trade union representatives, we have held a series of ministerial roundtables with the creative industries to ensure they are aware of Government information on EU Exit and on the impacts and opportunities of leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement. We will continue to work closely with the creative sectors as we continue our preparations.

Cybercrime: Departmental Responsibilities

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled, New boost to increase diversity in nation’s cyber security industry, published 14 August 2019, what the responsibilities of the Cyber Security Minister are; and what interactions he has with Cabinet Office Ministers.

Nigel Adams: As the Minister of State, I lead on cyber security including all aspects of DCMS work on the National Cyber Security Strategy. My full title is Minister for Sport, Media and Creative Industries and my responsibilities include: Sport and the Commonwealth GamesOversight of departmental plans on BrexitOverall international strategy, including approach to future trade dealsLead Secondary Legislation Minister (including EU Exit statutory instruments)Media and Creative IndustriesData and the National ArchivesCyber Security I have regular meetings with Cabinet Office ministers on cyber security and other matters.

Young People: Public Participation

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the announcement of 27 February 2019 that new youth voice projects will be launched to encourage young people to participate in making national policy, what policies will be prioritised for youth participation; and what steps she will take to ensure the work and influence of the projects is transparent.

Nicky Morgan: Three new youth voice projects were announced in February to encourage young people to participate in making national policy: - Youth Steering Group- Young Inspectors Group- Digital Youth engagement research The Youth Steering Group has already been involved in discussing the Government’s future offer for young people and the review of the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services. The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy invited the Youth Steering Group to conduct a review of environment and climate policy. Young people are also contributing to policy development on serious violence through the Government’s Youth Advisory Forum on Serious Violence . The Young Inspectors Group are participating in the monitoring and evaluation of national programmes affecting young people. The Digital Youth Engagement research explored how new digital solutions can enable large numbers of young people to play a role in consultations and policy design across government. We will make further announcements on these pioneering Youth Voice projects in due course

World Heritage Sites

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s single departmental plan, for what reason the intention to sponsor World Heritage Sites in the UK under Objective 4.8 was removed in the update of 27 June 2019.

Rebecca Pow: We can confirm that sponsoring World Heritage Sites in the UK has not been removed from our Single Departmental Plan (SDP), and it remains a part of “Marketing the UK across the world to promote jobs and growth by strengthening cultural exports and promoting inward investments”.

Leader of the House

Brexit: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Lyn Brown: To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment he as made of the effect of the prorogation of Parliament between 9 and 12 September 2019 and the 14 October 2019 on the number of sitting days available for Parliamentary scrutiny of (a) Bills before the House and (b) Statutory Instruments relating to the UK’s Exit from the European Union subject to the (i) affirmative and (ii) negative procedure in advance of the 31st October 2019; and what assessment he has made of the level of risk that  legislation in relation to the Government’s No Deal preparation will not have adequate parliamentary time to be passed.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Leader of the House, what estimate he has made of the number of sitting days available for Parliamentary scrutiny in advance of 31 October 2019 of (a) Bills, (b) affirmative procedure statutory instruments and (c) negative procedure statutory instruments relating to the UK leaving the EU.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Leader of the House, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) Bills, (b) affirmative procedure statutory instruments and (c) negative procedure statutory instruments that need to pass through Parliament in advance of 31 October 2019 in order to meet the Government’s preparation objectives for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: The necessary EU exit bills for 31 October in a no-deal scenario are in place. Further primary legislation will be needed after exit day as a result of the UK leaving the EU. The number of sitting days available for Parliamentary scrutiny of legislation in advance of 31 October will depend on when the parliamentary session ends during the week of 9 September.Given the expected conference recess period of typically three weeks, prorogation of Parliament would mean that the number of sittings days would be between four and seven fewer than would have been available for the scrutiny of legislation, where Parliament would have otherwise been sitting. To date we have laid over 580 EU exit SIs. The Government is confident that the necessary secondary legislation will be in force by 31 October.

Brexit: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Tom Brake: To ask the Leader of the House, what further legislative changes are needed to enable Departments to complete preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October 2019; and how much Parliamentary time he estimates is required to pass that legislation.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: If we leave the EU without a deal then no further primary exit legislation is needed before 31 October. We are confident that the necessary secondary legislation will be in force by 31 October.

Privy Council

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Leader of the House, when the Privy Council will next meet.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: The next scheduled Privy Council meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 October 2019.